The Impact of Electric Vehicles on Climate Change

The U.S. is not on track to achieve its climate goals. Achieving a net-zero economy by 2050 will require a nationwide transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and clean energy to power all the new EVs.

The ICF Climate Center offers this report to provide data-driven projections of likely EV adoption scenarios and actionable recommendations for public sector and utility leaders. Download the report to learn:

Projections of EV adoption between 2020-2050 Greenhouse gas emission reductions under different EV adoption scenarios Impact of EV charging on the electric grid State policies that impact EV adoption Equity considerations around EVs

Identifying Electric Vehicles to Best Serve University Fleet Needs and Support Sustainability Goals

University fleets represent an enticing opportunity to explore the near-term feasibility of achieving net-zero-carbon emissions in transportation. In many instances, universities operate much like a small, self-contained ecosystem with all the same transportation needs as a larger municipality, but with a smaller geographic footprint. Their fleets often include a wide variety of vehicle types serving the campus, including low-speed vehicles (e.g., golf carts), light-duty sedans, SUVs, and pickups, as well as medium-duty trucks and delivery vehicles. The mix of vehicle and operational needs combined with broader activities related to net-zero campuses makes universities and colleges unique microcosms to determine the …

Renewables on the Rise 2021: The Rapid Growth of Renewables, Electric Vehicles and Other Building Blocks of a Clean Energy Future

Clean energy is sweeping across America and is poised for more dramatic growth in the coming years.

Wind turbines and solar panels made up a tiny fraction of our energy infrastructure 10 years ago. Today, they are everyday parts of America’s energy landscape. The number of homes heated with clean, efficient electric heat pumps increased by 28% in a decade from 2005 to 2015. Just a few years ago, electric vehicles seemed a far-off solution to decarbonize our transportation system. Now, they have broken through to the mass market.

Virtually every day, there are new developments that increase our ability …

Scaling Electric Vehicles in the U.S.: A Federal Investment in Jobs and Clean Transportation

On August 5th, President Biden issued an executive order for the United States to reach 50% light duty electric vehicle (EV) sales by 2030. Electric vehicles offer multiple advantages over gas-powered vehicles, and as we wrote in 2019, the US is already moving toward EVs. It still, however, lags behind global competitors like the E.U. and China in terms of EV production and charging infrastructure. Today the U.S. is at 4% EV sales and is projected to reach around 20% EV sales by 2030 under “business as usual.” Our goal is to help make sure these vehicles are made in …

Electric Vehicles Roadmap Initiative

The Special Report of the Electric Vehicles Roadmap Initiative contains targeted recommendations on federal policy issues that affect public and private investments in EV infrastructure across the West. It also includes an umbrella agreement among states around a shared set of principles regarding EV infrastructure planning and identified a suite of voluntary standards to optimize public and private EV infrastructure investments.…

Used Electric Vehicles Deliver Consumer Saving Over Gas Cars

New research shows used electric vehicles in California are less expensive to own than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles over a typical five-year ownership period, demonstrating the potential for greater EV adoption by lower and middle-income consumers. The analysis finds average EVs save $1,100 for model year 2017 and $500 for model year 2018, but are 40 percent cheaper compared to the average used gas car with the maximum incentive under California’s Clean Cars 4 All program. The report also includes priority policies applicable in the state and nationwide to support rapid, equitable adoption of EVs and create jobs.…

Cold Weather Issues for Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Alaska

An informal statewide survey distributed by the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) in November of 2019 showed there is substantial interest in electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Alaska, though concerns related to cold weather issues remain. To address these concerns, this review of literature and existing information on EVs in Alaska finds that the current generation EVs typically perform well in cold weather, with similar or better handling compared to morphologically similar internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The most concerning cold weather issues are large range decreases, slower charging times, lower …

Progress and Potential for Electric Vehicles to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Electric vehicles (EVs) represent a promising step towards lowering greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector—but this report finds that EVs will continue to play a small part in emissions reductions over the next five years with larger contributions in the decade after.…

Charge for Less: An Analysis of Electricity Pricing for Electric Vehicles in Ameren Territory

Electric Vehicle drivers in Central and Southern Illinois could potentially save hundreds of dollars a year in charging costs if they participate in an Ameren Illinois program called Power Smart Pricing, according to a new study released by the nonprofit consumer watchdog Citizens Utility Board (CUB) Monday.

“Charge for Less: An Analysis of Electricity Pricing for Electric Vehicles in Ameren Territory” can be found at CUBHelpCenter.com. It was written by CUB Data Scientist Ramandeep Makhija, Research Director Jeff Zethmayr and Executive Director David Kolata.

The study found that Ameren’s Power Smart Pricing program, a special electricity plan available to residential …

Expert perceptions of enhancing grid resilience with electric vehicles in the United States

This paper examines expert perceptions of enhancing grid resilience with electric vehicles in the United States.

Electricity and transportation systems in industrialized countries are undergoing transformations that, if coordinated, could improve the resilience and environmental performance of energy systems. The electrification of transportation and the expansion of renewable electricity can be leveraged by the bidirectional smart charging of electric vehicles, called “vehicle-grid integration” (VGI). Studies to date have focused on simulations and pilot studies to estimate the technical potential of VGI. We survey members of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Electricity Advisory Committee using a Delphi approach to assess VGI’s …