University of Michigan study examines benefits of electric vehicles

Researchers at the University of Michigan estimate that a majority of people who own vehicles in the United States will see a drop in how much they spend on transportation energy if they made the switch to an electric vehicle (EV). 

The study found that it would also greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases each household produces, but the 8.3 million households that make up the lowest-income Americans would continue spending more than 4% of their incomes to power or fuel their cars, according to a news release.

“Our results confirm the potential for widespread benefits from EV adoption,” said corresponding author Joshua Newell, an urban geographer at the UM Center for Sustainable Systems, in a news release. “However, EV ownership in the U.S. has thus far been dominated by households with higher incomes and education levels, leaving the most vulnerable populations behind. Policy interventions are needed to increase EV accessibility so that all Americans can benefit from the EV transition.”

The study looked at EV energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions across the U.S., theorizing that if all gas-powered vehicles were replaced with EVs, the transportation energy burdens and associated greenhouse gas emissions will vary greatly depending on location. 

The West Coast and parts of the Northeast are likely to see the most significant reductions in both transportation energy burden and GHG emissions, as a result of cleaner energy grids and lower electricity prices. However, households in the Midwest, Hawaii, and Alaska could see little improvement, with very high EV transportation energy burdens persisting for the lowest-income households. 

The study is the first to examine EV energy costs through the lens of distributive justice, calculating the EV energy burden for the entire United States. 

The researchers suggest that policy interventions, such as charging infrastructure subsidies, could be required to promote energy justice in lower-income communities, along with strategies to reduce electricity costs and increase the availability of low-carbon transportation modes like public transit, cycling and car sharing.

According to the release, transportation currently makes up the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., with direct emissions from passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks making up roughly 16%. 

The transition to EVs is believed to be the best way to reduce those emissions. The researchers suggested that future grid decarbonization, fuel prices and charging accessibility will have an impact on the benefits of EVs.