Electric vehicles are one of the hottest topics in the auto industry going into 2023, with exciting developments underway that could continue to revolutionize transportation. The number of electric and plug-in hybrid models available in the US is already nearly 100, with another fifty or more soon to be released.
In fact, 2023 may be the year of the electric SUV, as several companies introduce their first electric sports utility vehicles. This includes the Chevy Equinox and the Toyota bZ4X, as well as the Cadillac Lyriq, a midsize SUV that is the brand’s first electric vehicle, according to Kelley Blue Book.
From low operating and maintenance costs to the ability to “fuel up” at home, EVs can provide many benefits to drivers. EVs are more affordable now than ever, with some new electric vehicles available for less than $35,000 with a range of more than 200 miles per charge. Federal funding will also help increase the approximately 50,000 charging stations in the United States to 500,000 by 2030, specifically around highway corridors and in underserved areas.
“The great American road trip is going to be fully electrified,” President Joe Biden said at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in September, according to Smithsonian Magazine. “Whether you’re driving coast to coast along the I-10, or on 1-75 here in Michigan, charging stations will be up and as easy to find as gas stations are now.”
Beyond individual benefits, the electrification of transportation is good for society. After all, transportation is the biggest contributor to poor air quality in the country, so reducing or removing tailpipe emissions will lower pollutants that cause smog and other air quality problems. Transitioning to zero-emission vehicles by 2050 could prevent 6,300 premature deaths per year and 93,000 asthma attacks, according to the American Lung Association. The transition could also lower the number of lost work days by 416,000, provide health benefits worth $72 billion, and offer $113 billion in climate benefits, according to the organization.
While the climate benefits of electric vehicles are well-documented, “zero emissions” may be a misnomer. “We shouldn’t claim victory that with this switch to electric cars, problem solved, we are going to have zero emissions,” Sergey Paltsev, deputy director of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, told MIT’s Climate Portal. “No, that's not the case. But electric cars are actually much, much better in terms of the impact on the climate in comparison to internal combustion vehicles. And in time, that comparative advantage of electric cars is going to grow.”
In fact, an electric vehicle’s climate impact is estimated to be nearly three times lower than gasoline cars, according to Climate Portal. That number is expected to improve as countries producing vehicle parts move from fossil fuels to renewable energy to generate electricity.
Locally, Arizona organization Transportation Electrification (TE) Activator aims to help people, communities, and organizations electrify the state’s transportation sector. Its membership includes Salt River Project, the city of Phoenix, the city of Mesa, the city of Tempe, Arizona State University, South West Energy Efficiency Project, Western Resource Advocates, and the American Lung Association of Arizona and Shell Recharge. The “Steering Change” campaign is also sponsored by Arizona Public Service.
These groups and municipalities are working together to engage with communities and understand how to electrify transportation equitably. For more information, visit electrifyarizona.org.
