Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improving Air Quality
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case that most of that excitement is justified. Personal transportation is a significant source of both poor air quality and greenhouse gas emissions (particularly
if one considers the entire petroleum extraction, refinement, distribution, and
combustion process). The emission from vehicles, furthermore, are particularly
concentrated in larger cities, where they influence a disproportionate number of
other people in the population. And, of course, there are economic and personal
value reasons why individuals can choose to participate in the transition to EVs.
Thus, there is huge potential for continued progress with regard to EVs.
14.2.1 Electric Buses
One of the areas for developments with the most significant potential for
progress is the electric bus. As of May 2019, China had about 421,000 electric
buses, Europe about 2250, and the United States about 300 (Eckhouse, 2019).
Barcelona, Spain has a project to replace diesel buses to reduce pollution in
the city; the plan includes 116 new electric buses and some hybrid buses to
be delivered in 2019, 2020, and 2021 (Dzikiy, 2019). The buses are considered
to be safer and less polluting. Paris, France has a plan to replace diesel buses
with 800 new electric buses (Dzikiy, 2019).
The transition to electric buses is not just happening in national capitals
or other major cities, though. Electric buses are showing up in smaller communities such as Asheville, North Carolina, which put five new electric
buses into service in June 2019 as part of an effort to reduce the city’s carbon
emissions (Burgess, 2019).
Electric buses are used for many hours each day, and the estimated savings
in diesel fuel are 270,000 barrels per day in 2019 for the buses that are in
service (Prosser, 2019). The transition to electric buses is very beneficial to
society because of the improved air quality and the reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions. Better air quality is one of the reasons that there has been so
much progress in the transition to electric buses.
14.2.2 Electric Cars
Electric cars are becoming increasingly established and the electric car
industry is now rapidly expanding. Electric cars are continuing to evolve,
with many new models being introduced. Volkswagen has plans to have
70 models and build 22 million EVs by 2030 (Evarts, 2019d). Batteries are
important for EVs, and Volkswagen has four companies to supply batteries.
Audi has reported on its plans to introduce 20 new battery electric models
and ten plug- in hybrid electric models by 2025 and to have its percentage
of EV sales increase to 40 (Evarts, 2019a). BMW plans to have more than ten
plug- in hybrid and electric models on sale by the end of 2020, with 12 allelectric models and 13 plug- in hybrids by 2025 (Evarts, 2019b). BMW plans
to spend about $56 million to expand its battery factory to produce advanced
fifth- generation battery packs. The efforts include research and development
to produce new battery cells from recycled materials from old battery packs.
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case that most of that excitement is justified. Personal transportation is a significant source of both poor air quality and greenhouse gas emissions (particularly
if one considers the entire petroleum extraction, refinement, distribution, and
combustion process). The emission from vehicles, furthermore, are particularly
concentrated in larger cities, where they influence a disproportionate number of
other people in the population. And, of course, there are economic and personal
value reasons why individuals can choose to participate in the transition to EVs.
Thus, there is huge potential for continued progress with regard to EVs.
14.2.1 Electric Buses
One of the areas for developments with the most significant potential for
progress is the electric bus. As of May 2019, China had about 421,000 electric
buses, Europe about 2250, and the United States about 300 (Eckhouse, 2019).
Barcelona, Spain has a project to replace diesel buses to reduce pollution in
the city; the plan includes 116 new electric buses and some hybrid buses to
be delivered in 2019, 2020, and 2021 (Dzikiy, 2019). The buses are considered
to be safer and less polluting. Paris, France has a plan to replace diesel buses
with 800 new electric buses (Dzikiy, 2019).
The transition to electric buses is not just happening in national capitals
or other major cities, though. Electric buses are showing up in smaller communities such as Asheville, North Carolina, which put five new electric
buses into service in June 2019 as part of an effort to reduce the city’s carbon
emissions (Burgess, 2019).
Electric buses are used for many hours each day, and the estimated savings
in diesel fuel are 270,000 barrels per day in 2019 for the buses that are in
service (Prosser, 2019). The transition to electric buses is very beneficial to
society because of the improved air quality and the reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions. Better air quality is one of the reasons that there has been so
much progress in the transition to electric buses.
14.2.2 Electric Cars
Electric cars are becoming increasingly established and the electric car
industry is now rapidly expanding. Electric cars are continuing to evolve,
with many new models being introduced. Volkswagen has plans to have
70 models and build 22 million EVs by 2030 (Evarts, 2019d). Batteries are
important for EVs, and Volkswagen has four companies to supply batteries.
Audi has reported on its plans to introduce 20 new battery electric models
and ten plug- in hybrid electric models by 2025 and to have its percentage
of EV sales increase to 40 (Evarts, 2019a). BMW plans to have more than ten
plug- in hybrid and electric models on sale by the end of 2020, with 12 allelectric models and 13 plug- in hybrids by 2025 (Evarts, 2019b). BMW plans
to spend about $56 million to expand its battery factory to produce advanced
fifth- generation battery packs. The efforts include research and development
to produce new battery cells from recycled materials from old battery packs.