An analysis conducted by climate policy think tank Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology LLC found several potential benefits linked to California’s controversial electric vehicle mandate.
The subject of inquiry is California’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) act, which, among other things, will limit car purchases in the state to zero-emission vehicles only by 2035. Currently, 16 states have agreed to adopt this standard, including Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Using its own open-source policy simulator, the think tank studied what the impacts of the law would be if all included states followed through on their commitments.
By 2050, Energy Innovation estimated that the law will have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1,310 million metric tons. During this period, rates of asthma attacks and premature deaths would decrease by 160,000 and 5,000 instances respectively, with the biggest reductions occurring in low-income areas and communities of color, where “vehicle pollution is disproportionally concentrated…” Analysis of the ACC II’s potential effects on the economy found that EV sales would eventually grow to account for 81% of all U.S. auto purchases, creating roughly 300,000 new jobs in the process. The rule would also cut annual household spending by hundreds of dollars in areas of implementation.
While these results are encouraging for the 16 states looking to adopt the ACC II, Energy Innovation warns that local governments will need to create “supporting policies” to make the law “more successful and equitable.” The researchers recommend income-based assistance for EV purchases, in addition to manufacturing incentives and investments in charging infrastructure. The think tank concluded its study by noting that failure to implement such legislation in time would forgo “savings, cleaner air and new jobs.”
