Driving Clean in Electric Vehicles

By cleaning up the cars we drive, we can do good for our health, the economy, and the environment. But electric vehicles need a helping hand to make this new technology more widespread, accessible, and affordable.

CLF in Action

Transportation is the largest source of climate-damaging emissions in New England. Now that nearly every state in the region has laws mandating cuts to these emissions, we have a responsibility to ensure our transportation doesn’t damage the climate. We’re on the right track with state tax rebates paired with the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s rebates that make electric cars more affordable. But that’s not nearly enough to electrify all our transportation.

Electric vehicles still remain prohibitively expensive, which is why CLF is pushing for more financial incentives for purchasing one. We also need our governments and businesses to join in electrifying their vehicle fleets, too. On top of these changes, vehicle manufacturers must produce more electric vehicles.

CLF will continue our push to support forward-looking initiatives to replace gas guzzlers with new, zero-emission electric cars across the region.

What’s at Stake

Our cars, trucks, buses, trains, and planes are New England’s biggest sources of climate-damaging emissions. Meanwhile, tailpipe pollution causes asthma and other health problems, especially in our low-income and communities of color. Switching from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles cuts the pollution that endangers health and fuels climate change. 

To stave off the worst impacts of climate change and reach net zero emissions by 2050, electric cars, trucks, and buses must be a part of the climate solution. What’s more, electric vehicles can boost the regional economy and promote energy independence by keeping at home money that we currently spend importing gasoline and oil.

Adoption of electric vehicles is growing, but slowly. By ramping up their adoption now, we can deliver more of these needed benefits sooner. We need an all-hands-on-deck effort from government, utilities, automakers, and auto dealers to push this new technology over the tipping point and set us on a path towards a healthier climate future.