Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) produce no tailpipe emissions, making them a clear environmental choice over internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. This significant benefit for the environment is truly remarkable. Additionally, we sought to examine the positive impact of electric vehicles (EVs) on human health, and unsurprisingly, the results are impressive. EVs offer a much healthier alternative to ICE vehicles. Now, let’s delve into the numbers to further illustrate these advantages.
Lowering pollution levels
While it’s true that greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental concerns arise from the sourcing, shipping, and manufacturing of EVs, as well as the charging process (depending on the electricity source), It's essential to note, as highlighted by the environmental advocacy organization, the David Suzuki Foundation:
“... Unlike a gas-powered car, which pollutes all the way through to the end of its life, the average EV makes up for the higher environmental cost of its production within the first few years of ownership.”
Also unlike ICE vehicles, the "well-to-wheel" emissions of the EV decrease as both vehicle manufacturers and power plants switch to cleaner forms of electricity.
The Environmental Defence and Ontario Public Health Association's report “Clearing the Air: How Electric Vehicles And Cleaner Trucks Can Reduce Pollution, Improve Health And Save Lives In The Greater Toronto And Hamilton Area" reveals alarming statistics. In the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), air pollution is responsible for over 3,000 premature deaths annually. This area is situated along one of North America’s busiest traffic corridors.
The report highlights three main pollutants linked to conventional ICE vehicles:
fine particulate matter (PM2.5),
nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and
ozone (O3).
It emphasizes that the vehicle traffic is a significant contributor to air pollution, which has been associated with:
lung cancer,
respiratory conditions like asthma,
allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and
cardiovascular conditions like angina, heart attack, hypertension and stroke.
The effects of air pollution disproportionately affect various groups, including older adults, young children, individuals with pre-existing heart or lung conditions, those with diabetes, outdoor enthusiasts, and residents near industrial areas or busy traffic routes. This encompasses a significant portion of the population!
Learn more about healthcare and EV charging.
Findings in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area
As quoted in Clearing the Air, research conducted by the University of Toronto’s Transportation and Air Quality Group indicates that transitioning light-duty vehicles and public transit to EVs could substantially decrease traffic-related air pollution, resulting in 313 fewer premature deaths annually in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA). Furthermore, the switch to electric commercial trucks could prevent an additional 275 fewer premature deaths each year.
Transitioning to 100% light-duty EVs could yield annual social benefits of up to $2.4 billion. Electrifying all public transit buses could provide up to $1.1 billion per year, while shifting to more efficient commercial trucks could offer up to $2.1 billion annually.
The research reveals that in a scenario where all cars and SUVs are replaced by a single EV, each replacement generates $9,850 in social benefits.
Children’s health
As mentioned earlier, children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution due to their developing respiratory systems and faster breathing rates compared to healthy adults. Additionally, they spend considerable time, up to two hours per day on most days, waiting near roads for school buses powered by internal combustion engines, and subsequently riding in these polluting buses.
The American Lung Association recently released the report “Boosting Health for Children: Benefits of Zero-Emission Transportation and Electricity" in February 2024.
