Electric Vehicles are Not the Future;

They are the Now

By Andres Esparragoza || 15 April 2021

The Immediate Truth:

Today’s modern society currently faces hundreds, if not thousands, if not millions,

of both controllable and uncontrollable issues. A lurking issue that has been haunting our

society is the issue of climate change and global warming. The roots of this issue date back

to the exact date of June 23rd, 1988 when the director of NASA’s Institute for Space

Studies, Dr. James Hansen, shared to the United States Senate Energy and Natural

Resource Committee sentiment directly implying the hazard that global warming and the

greenhouse effect will have on the Earth’s climate 1.

To be brief, the issue of climate change is dependent entirely on the greenhouse

effect. Certain gases are known to block heat from escaping the Earth’s atmosphere. These

gases are known as greenhouse gases. A common greenhouse gas that is highly

responsible for the climate crisis we face is carbon dioxide, which is known to be emitted

from various combustion, or burning, techniques including the combustion of fossil fuels

and organic matter. The increased concentration of greenhouse gases can be responsible

1
Brulle, Robert. "30 years ago global warming became front-page news – and both Republicans and Democrats took
it seriously." 19 June 2018. The Conversation. Article. April 2021.
 for an increased average temperature which affects habitats, precipitation cycles, and

climate which could directly harm human food supply and safety 2.

It has been thirty-two years since global warming was first shared as a national

issue, and the issue is still consistently present and known as it is constantly brought up

in political discourse and sustainability presentations. The immediate truth of the matter

is that there are many contributors to this issue at hand, but one of the contributors is

something that has the potential to effectively reverse itself with actions that are not new.

The contributor being referred to is none other than the transportation industry.

It is not difficult to see that gas-

powered vehicles are one of the

greatest key contributors to the

excess greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere which directly causes

global warming. According to the

United States Environmental

Protection Agency, cars and trucks

are responsible for roughly 1/5th of

all US emissions. For every gallon of

gasoline burned, a vehicle will emit

Figure 1: U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2019 30 24 pounds of carbon dioxide3.

2
NASA Earth Science Communication. "The Causes of Climate Change." 5 April 2021. NASA. Document. 10 April
2021.
3
United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle." 4
December 2020. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Information Page. 8 April 2021.
 These are just a few statistics that we are concerned about when it comes to the

eminent dangers the transportation industry can control when it comes to sustainability.

The emission rate of gas-powered vehicles is incredibly high and given that there are over

276.5 million vehicles4 in the United States alone, it is clear to see that this issue will only

augment itself over time if no immediate or abrupt change occurs.

What does the immediate or abrupt change look like? The short answer is simply

going electric. Electric vehicles are the future of sustainability in the automotive and

transportation industry. Not only are electric cars proven to be better for the

environment, but they are also within reach given modern technological standards.

Figure 2: Visual of Gas and Electric Vehicles 31

A journal article written by professors at various Universities, primarily

McMasters University, assessed in total 4734 studies and 123 articles of detailed review

4
Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Number of U.S Aircraft, Vehicles, Vessels, and Other Conveyances. Dataset.
Washington DC: US Department of Transportation, 2019. Spreadsheet.
of the effect of Electric Vehicles on the environment and humans. The authors observed

that the studies reviewed “consistently showed reductions in greenhouse gas emissions

and emissions of some criteria pollutants” such as particulate matter and SO 2. The journal

did note that the decreases of emissions were dependent on the context 5.

Nonetheless, it is vital that we push for a more electric vehicles as soon as possible

in the name of sustainability and climate change. Gasoline-powered vehicles are

detrimental to the climate and can be exchanged for cleaner alternatives. EVs are the

cleaner, more sustainable future which we have the technology for today.

Sustainability:

To further contextualize this

issue, we must dive deeper into

what sustainability. According to

the University of California-Los

Angeles Sustainability Committee,

the definition of sustainability is

“the integration of environmental

health, social equity, and economic

vitality in order to create thriving,

healthy, diverse, and resilient Figure 3: Chart by the European parliament Highlighting the mass
emission caused by Cars 32.

5
Requia, Weeberb J, et al. "How clean are Electric Vehicles? Evidence-based review of the effects of electriv mobility
on air pollutants, greenhouse gas emissions, and human health." Atmospheric Environment 185 (2018): 64-
77. Review Article.
communities for this generation and generations to come. The practice of sustainability

recognizes how these issues are interconnected and requires a systems approach and an

acknowledgement of complexity.”6

By that definition, to practice sustainability is to be conscious of issues pertaining

to the environment and social humanity. For this brief, we will focus primarily on the

environmental concerns of sustainability.

When it comes to sustainability, many groups including the Environmental

Protection Agency, US Department of Agriculture, Universities, and Public Social Groups

advocate for the conscious consideration for the environment and climate change.

To further explain in the case of the automotive industry, a sustainable plan for the

automotive industry is to reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible between their

product and production. Net-zero emissions, also known as carbon neutrality, is a word

heard often when it comes to sustainability which essentially means the amount of

greenhouse gas produced and the

amount removed from the

atmosphere are equal7. Some

sources go as far to say that net-

zero emissions are when

greenhouse gases are removed

Figure 4: Visual Representation of Carbon Neutrality Presented by AT&T 33
from the atmosphere via carbon

6
UCLA Sustainability Committee. "What is Sustainability?" n.d. UCLA. Document. 12 April 2021.
7
National Grid. "What is net zero?" 2021. NationalGrid. Document. 10 April 2021.
removal to the extent that all greenhouse gas emissions excess due to human activity are

out of the atmosphere8.

Nonetheless, sustainability in most industries strive for that net-zero emissions

goal. The automotive industry is no different. This is known since General Motors and

other automotive giants have announced their plans to reach carbon neutrality by a

certain point. For General Motors, they vow to be carbon neutral by the year 2040. How

do they plan on doing this? In their own words, “GM plans to decarbonize its portfolio by

transitioning to battery electric vehicles or other zero-emissions vehicle technology.” 9

The question now lies on how we can trust that electric vehicles are the answer to

the question of how to make the automotive industry greener. The question also lies on

how to make it sooner and how to implement it as soon as possible.

Electric Vehicles Today:

Electric Vehicles are simply vehicles that run on electric powered batteries rather

than gasoline powered engines. Electric Vehicles, for the sake of the argument, will also

include hybrid vehicles which accept both gasoline and electric car to function the vehicle.

Popular EVs you are likely familiar with to some degree include the Tesla Model 3, Toyota

Prius, Hyundai Kona EV, and Nissan Leaf.

Electric Vehicles are gaining in popularity as they are slowly gaining more range

per charge as well as decreasing in price; however, only 1% of vehicles on the road today

8
Levin, Kelly and Chantal Davis. "What does "Net-Zero Emissions" Mean? ." 12 August 2020. World Resource
Institute. Blog. 12 April 2021.
9
James, Jessica. "General Motors, the Largest U.S. Automaker, Plans to be Carbon Neutral by 2040." 28 January
2021. GM. Media. 10 April 2021.
are electric10. A consumer concern regarding electric vehicles is the increased price point.

Although the car is cleaner, consumers do not appreciate the greater price for the clean

alternative.

This concern must be addressed through proper marketing since research from the

Massachusetts Institute for Technology, more commonly referred to as M.I.T., has seen

that hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles are not only cheaper in the long term, but they

also have confirmed that these vehicles release much less emission in their lifetime

compared to their gasoline powered counterparts 11.

Figure 5: Graph of Vehicles Average Carbon Dioxide emissions per mile verse Average Cost per month. Note that Electric Vehicles,
labeled in yellow, emit much less and cost less or equal to their competitors 11

10
Plumer, Brad, Nadja Popovich and Blacki Migliozzi. "Electric Cars are coming. How Long Until They Rule the
Road?" The New York Times 10 March 2021. Article.
11
Penney, Veronica. "Electric Cars are Better for the Planet - and Often Your Budget, Too." The New York Times 15
January 2021. Article.reich
Figure 6: Price Comparison of Electricity and Gasoline. The blue dots, electric price, are most consistently cheaper than the price
of gasoline 34
 The metric which determines how clean a car is to their environment depends on

study to study especially given how difficult it is to calculate and measure certain aspects.

To truly comprehend how clean these vehicles are, it is vital to have a valid comparison

point through a metric. Studies conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists have

proven that the average electric vehicle produces global warming pollution equal to a gas-

powered car with 88 miles per gallon (mpg) fuel economy. The average new car gets

around 31 mpg while the most efficient vehicles get around 58 mpg 12.

Simple mathematics determines that it is clear to see that the electric vehicles are

significantly more efficient than gas-powered vehicles by a long shot. For clarification

purposes, a car with a high gas-mileage does not burn as much gasoline, therefore release

less emissions, to travel the same amount of distance as a low gas-mileage. Electric

Vehicles, by this metric, sweep gas-powered vehicles. In the aforementioned M.I.T. study,

they measured the average carbon dioxide emissions in grams per mile. In other words,

they found how many grams of carbon dioxide was emitted per mile 11.

Not only are electric vehicles clean today, but they will also be even cleaner in the

future than they are today. Estimations calculate that EV emissions are almost 10% lower

than the estimates of two years ago12.

Electric Bus Case Study:

An interesting case study in the name of electric vehicles is that of the electric bus.

Electric and hybrid busses have swept the nation and have proven to lower global

12
Reichmuth, David. Are Electric Vehicles Really Better for the Climate? Yes. Here's Why. 11 February 2020.
Research Blog Post. 1 April 2021.
warming emissions even in towns and cities that run on power grids dependent on coal

and natural gas13.

A common argument in the case of electric vehicles is that electric power grids are

typically powered by burning coal and natural gas which are known to emit carbon

dioxide. Doubters of electric vehicles argued that the emissions of electric vehicles come

from the power grid instead of the vehicle itself declaring that electric vehicles are just as

harmful to the environment as gas-powered vehicles. The electric bus case study

performed by the Union of Concerned Scientist was a breakthrough in breaking that

stigma that electric vehicles were just as “dirty” to the environment as gas powered

vehicles.

Electric busses range from 1.4 to 7.7 times better than diesel busses in terms of gas-

mileage emission-equivalency, especially on solar power or hydropower gird 13.

Continuing about electric busses, California has mandated that by 2029, all busses

purchased by its mass transit agencies must be zero-emissions 14. This government step to

solving the issue is something we will further address.

Infrastructure Changes:

To push for more electric vehicles on the road, we must address the greatest barrier

to this issue: infrastructure. Besides initial price-point, another reason why electric

vehicle is not more popular on the road is due to convenience. A US News and World

13
O'Dea, Jimmy. "Electric vs. Diesel vs. Natural gas: Which Bus is the Best for the Climate?" 19 July 2018. Union of
Concerned Scientists. Research Blog. 8 April 2021.
14
Marshall, Aarian. "Why Electric Buses Haven't Taken Over the World - Yet." 7 June 2019. Wired. Document. 10
April 2021.
Report article includes various reasons why people do not buy electric cars. Three of the

reasons listed revolve around the infrastructure behind electric vehicles: lack of

availability, lack of service centers, and lack of charging infrastructure 15.

Lack of availability still holds great merit. Not all dealerships offer electric vehicles,

and more likely than not the few electric vehicle options are expensive. As of 2021, there

are nineteen electric vehicle models listed for the year16. Only a handful of companies truly

have electric vehicles readily available for mass production and sale.

Figure 7: Table of Electric Vehicles available in Australia as of 2019. These Vehicles are Consistent with those Available in the
United States at the same time 35

15
Loveday, Steven. "11 Reasons People Don't Buy Electric Cars (and Why They're Wrong)." 31 August 2020. US News
and World Report. Article. 9 April 2021.
16
Oldham, Scott. "Here's Every New Electric Vehicle Model for Sale in the U.S." 11 February 2021. Car and Driver.
Document. 11 April 2021.
 The infrastructure that must be

addressed in this case is the infrastructure

of building the vehicles. Naturally, it is

easier to construct a gas-powered vehicle

since all factories are tailored for this

process. Factories need to be repurposed to

accommodate to creating batteries which

requires serious infrastructure change as

well as capital. Estimations predict that

electric car conversions cost between

$5,000 and $10,000, but this price is

derived via the “home brew” method in

which individuals convert the car

themselves. Estimations would assume

that conversions for automotive companies

would be around the same, if not more,

when accounting for optimal redesign 17.

Lack of service centers is another

issue preventing the expansion of electric

vehicles. Dealerships must be certified to

fix electric vehicles specifically, and given

Figure 8: Infographic of Electric Vehicle Data 36
the lack of availability mentioned earlier, it

17
Brain, Marshall. "How Electric Cars Work." 2021. How Stuff Works. Document. 9 April 2021.
is safe to assume most dealerships are not equipped to service electric vehicles, right? Not

quite. Tesla will send a repair technician to your home if there is no local service center

and major car dealers such as GM, Ford, and Nissan can service in all dealerships. Other

companies such as the Volkswagen family of vehicles do not offer electric vehicle service

at all dealerships. This change in infrastructure of all dealership facilities is necessary, yet

somehow some companies have yet to reach this potential making it more difficult to

confide in an electric vehicle.

The final infrastructure change would be that of charging stations. Research led by

Jessika Trancik, Associate Professor for M.I.T., uncovered that installing charging

stations on residential streets, rather than public locations, could have a positive effect in

increasing sales of electric vehicles 18.

Figure 9: Charging Station Charging Infrastructure which must be Considered 37

This could be accomplished through federal incentives to encourage the private

sector to push for charging infrastructure. For statistical purposes, the price of the average

charging station of an electric bus cost around $50,000 each14. This infrastructural

18
Chandler, David L. "How to get more electric cars on the road." MIT News 21 January 2021. Research Review.
change addresses two issues simultaneously: changing hubs and range-anxiety. A concern

for electric vehicles is range-anxiety since electric vehicles cannot travel as far as a

gasoline-powered vehicle on a fully charged battery18. By implementing more charging

stations, range-anxiety could be lessened for those fearing running out of charge on a long

car drive.

Future infrastructure bills as well as local and private infrastructure plans must

begin to consider electric vehicles. This is one of the next steps necessary to reach a

greener planet in the realm of the transportation industry.

Legislation and Exterior Intervention:

As of March 12, 2021, there have been very limited legal statutes at the federal and

state level which intend to push for more electric fleets of vehicles. The states of Kentucky,

West Virginia, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Alaska currently have zero

consumer or producer incentive for electric vehicles 19 despite the plethora of evidence

supporting electric vehicles.

Common forms of legislations and incentives include grants, rebates, and credit.

Grants, rebates, and credit are all types of subsidies that are very similar. Grants and

rebates are especially similar since they both act to offset capital cost. In this case, the

grants or rebates act to offset the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle. The technical

19
Hartman, Kristy and Laura Shields. "State Policies Promoting Hybrid and Electric Vehicles." 12 March 2021.
National Conference of State Legislatures. Document. 9 April 2021.
difference between grants and rebate is that technically, under certain jurisdiction, rebate

can be taxed as income tax whereas grants are exempt from income tax 20.

In my home state of Pennsylvania, there are several programs, grants, and

incentives for the push for alternative energy. The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant

Program (AFIG Program) “provides financial assistance for innovative, advanced fuel and

vehicle technology projects19.” The AFIG Program’s primary goal is to improve

Pennsylvania’s air, reduce consumption of imported oil, and find alternative energy

sources all while benefitting the Pennsylvania commonwealth 21. A company or individual

must apply explaining the project idea for the AFIG Program. Grants funded by the

government, like the AFIG Program incentivize corporations to research in this industry

by essentially paying a corporation to create a green product.

Another Pennsylvanian incentive for electric vehicles includes the various rebate

programs. PECO, Pennsylvania’s largest electric and natural gas utility 22, offers a $50 per

car rebate for any electric vehicle purchased23. The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebate

program will pay Pennsylvania citizens up to $1,000 for purchasing an electric vehicle 24.

There are plenty of incentive programs throughout every state which will pay

people to purchase electric vehicles as well as provide them added benefits. Some states

20
Blumsack, Seth. "Types of Subsidies and Incentive Programs." 2021. Penn State Department of Energy and
Mineral Engineering. 14 April 2021.
21
Department of Environmental Protection. "Alternative Fuels Incentice Grant Program." 20 May 2020. The Official
Pennsylvania Government Page. Document. 14 April 2021.
22
PECO. "Company Information." 2021. PECO. 10 April 2021.
23
PECO. "Driver Rebate: PECO." 2021. PECO. Page. 10 April 2021.
24
Department of Environmental Protection. "Alternative Fuel Rebates for Consumers." 2021. The Official
Pennsylvania State Government.
are even offering up to $315,00025 to companies or individuals that purchase to electric

trucks, busses, and vehicles.

The final form of

incentive that has been

implemented and should be

re-implemented is that of tax

breaks. Since 2010 up until

December 2019, anyone

purchasing a qualified electric

vehicle was eligible to receive

a $7,500 federal tax credit26.

This federal tax credit did

have certain limits to it such

as once a manufacturer sold Figure 10: Incentive Plans Being Ran in the United Kingdom as of Now. These plans
are similar to those in the United States 38
over 200,000 qualified

electric vehicles, the tax credit would phase out 26. GM and Tesla customers, for a long

time, received these major tax credits which provided an incentive for consumers to

benefit from the green initiative as well as the producers by providing their customers

with a great vehicle and great reward from it.

25
California HVIP. "Vehicle Incentives." 9 April 2021. California HVIP. Listing. 9 April 2021.
<https://californiahvip.org/vehicles/>.
26
The Tesla Team. "What You Need to Know about the Federal EV Tax Credit Phase Out." 10 August 2018. Tesla.
Document. 9 April 2021.
 Continually providing more benefits and incentives is a way to push the electric

vehicle market to the next level. We have the technology for it, but not enough reason to

change it seems. Simple benefits of monetary incentives are that on a microsocial scale, it

is an easy way to influence specific behaviors. They also prove to achieve short-term goals

and increase productivity in the microsocial scale 27. Translating the microsocial scale to

the microeconomic or macroeconomic scale of the electric vehicle industry would likely

lead to similar results due to natural human behavior.

Another advantage of the incentive is by creating more competition 28. The more

people or corporations with capital to produce electric vehicles, the more options for

consumers and increase in supply inventory which in turn could lower the price of electric

vehicles.

The primary disadvantage of incentives is the limitations27. Only so much capital

can be given to people and to determine who gets how much could become a messy issue.

The current methods of the aforementioned AFIG Program and other rebate programs

require people to go through an application process which takes time to complete and

fulfill.

Overall, the current incentive plans are a great guide for plans that need to be

implemented as soon as possible. The push for electric vehicles can truly emerge through

legislation and incentive plans, and in times where the climate crisis is near the center of

attention, we must begin the push for that now.

27
Miller, Bridget. "Pros and Cons of Monetrary Incentives." 14 January 2015. HR Daily Advisor. 14 April 2021.
28
Sherman, Fraser. "Advantages and Disadvantages of Employee Incentives." 2 July 2020. Chron. 14 April 2021.
The Effect of Inaction:

As mentioned before, the sentiment to push for a greener planet is currently

present. Even automotive industries seem to be sharing similar sentiment as mentioned

with GM pushing for carbon neutrality by 2040 as well as Tesla’s whole goal of being zero-

emission and green.

Nonetheless, we can resolve this issue within the next decade since we already have

the technology for it, so then why do we not? The main issue is cost and lack of reason to

switch. If we continue on this path, then the global warming crisis will continue on its

current trajectory. That trajectory looks like an increase of 4.1 to 4.8 degrees Celsius

(around 8.0 degrees Fahrenheit) in global temperature by the year 2100. Current policies

are projected to lower that number to 2.7 to 3.1 degrees Celsius (around 5.0 degrees

Fahrenheit) with only 50 Gigatons of carbon dioxide emitted per year 29.

The goal is to emit zero Gigatons of carbon dioxide per year with only an increase

of 1.6 to 1.7 degrees Celsius (around 3.0 degrees Fahrenheit) in global temperature. With

an overabundance of gas-powered vehicles on the road today, we will never be able to

reach carbon neutrality in the transportation industry let alone the worldwide scale.

29
Climate Action Tracker. "2100 Warming Projections: Emissions and Expected Warming Base on pledges and
Current Policies." Climate Action Tracker. December 2020. Document.
 Figure 11: Graph of 2100 Global Warming Projections According to the Climate Action Tracker Group 29

Through inaction, carbon dioxide will continually be emitted, and the global

warming crisis will only further develop harmfully. The push for electric vehicles can

minimize one of the largest contributors to global warming in the near and foreseeable

future.

Final Take:

By now, it should be clear that global warming and the transportation industry,

more specifically the automotive industry, are interconnected deeply. There is minimal

surprise to the effect that modern vehicles have on our climate as well as the effect that

will continually occur as long as gasoline-powered vehicles are the main mode of

transportation among citizens of the United States.

 Global warming is a serious issue that can ultimately affect our standard of living

and our status as habitants of Earth if we choose to treat it lightly. The layers to treating

global warming appropriately involve a multitude of layers which many were left

unaddressed here. The main point being that the step we can focus on currently which we

have the solution for is the push for a greener fleet of transportation vehicles.

To push for a greener fleet of cars in our near future, we must give people reasons

to purchase electric vehicles as well as give corporations reasons beyond ethics to produce

electric vehicles. The best plans to achieve this goal by as soon as 2030 is to create more

electric vehicle related infrastructure and educate people on the difference they can make

by being greener.

Incentives and grants are an excellent starting point to progress the issue. To

incentivize infrastructure is to incentivize the producer to research and develop more

electric vehicles. To incentivize the purchase is to incentivize the consumer to, blindly or

not, make the world a little greener.

The plan of action at the moment is to provide pressure to automotive industries

to further push the electric vehicle agenda or to provide pressure on legislatures to provide

more incentives and opportunities for electric vehicles to develop without losing out on a

lot of costs. Education of electric vehicles and their impressive feats are also part of the

plan of action necessary to help inspire people to invest more into electric vehicles and

their promising future in the United States.

Image References:
Figure 130

Figure 231

Figure 332

Figure 433

Figure 634

Figure 735

Figure 836

Figure 937

Figure 1038

30
Environmental Protection Agency. "Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions." 14 April 2021. United States
Environmental Protection Agency. Image. 15 April 2021.
31
Dubin, Bryce. From Gas to Electric. Tech Crunch.
32
European Parliament. "CO2 Emissions from Cars: Facts and Figures." 18 April 2019. Europa. Infographics. 9 April
2021.
33
AT&T. AT&T Commits to be Carbon Neutral by 2035. Dallas. Infographic.
34
Union of Concerned Scientists. "Going from Pump to Plug." Executive Summary. 2017. Document.
35
Gaton, Bryce. Electric Vehicles Available in Australia. The Driven.
36
Desjardins, Jeff. "Visualizing the Rise of the Electric Vehicle." 27 September 2018. Visual Capitalist. Infographic.
14 April 2021.
37
Central Hudson. "Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Make-Ready Program." n.d. Central Hudson. Infographic. 14 April
2021.
38
Navarro, Martin. "EV and EV Charging Incentives in the UK: A Complete Guide." 31 March 2020. Wallbox.
Infographic. 19 April 2021.
Bibliography
AT&T. 2020. AT&T Commits to be Carbon Neutral by 2035. Dallas.
Blumsack, Seth. 2021. "Types of Subsidies and Incentive Programs." Penn State Department of
Energy and Mineral Engineering. Accessed April 14, 2021.
Brain, Marshall. 2021. "How Electric Cars Work." How Stuff Works. Accessed April 9, 2021.
Brulle, Robert. 2018. "30 years ago global warming became front-page news – and both
Republicans and Democrats took it seriously." The Conversation. June 19. Accessed
April 2021.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics. 2019. Number of U.S Aircraft, Vehicles, Vessels, and Other
Conveyances. Dataset, Washington DC: US Department of Transportation.
California HVIP. 2021. "Vehicle Incentives." California HVIP. April 9. Accessed April 9, 2021.
https://californiahvip.org/vehicles/.
Central Hudson. n.d. "Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Make-Ready Program." Central Hudson.
Accessed April 14, 2021.
Chandler, David L. 2021. "How to get more electric cars on the road." MIT News, January 21.
Climate Action Tracker. 2020. "2100 Warming Projections: Emissions and Expected Warming
Base on pledges and Current Policies." Climate Action Tracker. December.
Department of Environmental Protection. 2021. "Alternative Fuel Rebates for Consumers." The
Official Pennsylvania State Government.
—. 2020. "Alternative Fuels Incentice Grant Program." The Official Pennsylvania Government
Page. May 20. Accessed April 14, 2021.
Desjardins, Jeff. 2018. "Visualizing the Rise of the Electric Vehicle." Visual Capitalist.
September 27. Accessed April 14, 2021.
Dubin, Bryce. 2020. From Gas to Electric. Tech Crunch.
Environmental Protection Agency. 2021. "Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions." United States
Environmental Protection Agency. April 14. Accessed April 15, 2021.
European Parliament. 2019. "CO2 Emissions from Cars: Facts and Figures." Europa. April 18.
Accessed April 9, 2021.
Gaton, Bryce. 2018. Electric Vehicles Available in Australia. The Driven.
Hartman, Kristy, and Laura Shields. 2021. "State Policies Promoting Hybrid and Electric
Vehicles." National Conference of State Legislatures. March 12. Accessed April 9, 2021.
James, Jessica. 2021. "General Motors, the Largest U.S. Automaker, Plans to be Carbon Neutral
by 2040." GM. January 28. Accessed April 10, 2021.
Levin, Kelly, and Chantal Davis. 2020. "What does "Net-Zero Emissions" Mean? ." World
Resource Institute. August 12. Accessed April 12, 2021.
Loveday, Steven. 2020. "11 Reasons People Don't Buy Electric Cars (and Why They're Wrong)."
US News and World Report. August 31. Accessed April 9, 2021.
Marshall, Aarian. 2019. "Why Electric Buses Haven't Taken Over the World - Yet." Wired. June
7. Accessed April 10, 2021.
Miller, Bridget. 2015. "Pros and Cons of Monetrary Incentives." HR Daily Advisor. January 14.
Accessed April 14, 2021.
Moses, Marta. 2020. How do Electric Cars Work? EDF.
NASA Earth Science Communication. 2021. "The Causes of Climate Change." NASA. April 5.
Accessed April 10, 2021.
National Grid. 2021. "What is net zero?" NationalGrid. Accessed April 10, 2021.
Navarro, Martin. 2020. "EV and EV Charging Incentives in the UK: A Complete Guide."
Wallbox. March 31. Accessed April 19, 2021.
O'Dea, Jimmy. 2018. "Electric vs. Diesel vs. Natural gas: Which Bus is the Best for the Climate?"
Union of Concerned Scientists. July 19. Accessed April 8, 2021.
Oldham, Scott. 2021. "Here's Every New Electric Vehicle Model for Sale in the U.S." Car and
Driver. February 11. Accessed April 11, 2021.
PECO. 2021. "Company Information." PECO. Accessed April 10, 2021.
—. 2021. "Driver Rebate: PECO." PECO. Accessed April 10, 2021.
Penney, Veronica. 2021. "Electric Cars are Better for the Planet - and Often Your Budget, Too."
The New York Times, January 15.
Plumer, Brad, Nadja Popovich, and Blacki Migliozzi. 2021. "Electric Cars are coming. How Long
Until They Rule the Road?" The New York Times, March 10.
Reichmuth, David. 2020. Are Electric Vehicles Really Better for the Climate? Yes. Here's Why.
February 11. Accessed April 1, 2021.
Requia, Weeberb J, Moataz Mohamed, Christopher D Higgins, Altaf Arain, and Mark Ferguson.
2018. "How clean are Electric Vehicles? Evidence-based review of the effects of electriv
mobility on air pollutants, greenhouse gas emissions, and human health." Atmospheric
Environment 185: 64-77.
Sherman, Fraser. 2020. "Advantages and Disadvantages of Employee Incentives." Chron. July 2.
Accessed April 14, 2021.
The Tesla Team. 2018. "What You Need to Know about the Federal EV Tax Credit Phase Out."
Tesla. August 10. Accessed April 9, 2021.
Transportation & Environment. 2020. "How Clean are Electric Cars?" Transportation and
Environemtn. April.
UCLA Sustainability Committee. n.d. "What is Sustainability?" UCLA. Accessed April 12, 2021.
Union of Concerned Scientists. 2017. "A Brief History of US Fuel Efficiency Standards."
UCSUSA. December 6. Accessed April 9, 2021.
Union of Concerned Scientists. 2017. Going from Pump to Plug. Executive Summary, Union of
Concerned Scientists.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2020. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a
Typical Passenger Vehicle." United States Environmental Protection Agency. December
4. Accessed April 8, 2021.