New Energy Future News

CHICAGO, IL—Increasing America’s use of  plug-in electric and plug-in hybrid cars would dramatically reduce emissions that cause global warming and air pollution and would curb our dependence on oil, according to a new white paper released today by Environment Illinois.   

“With more Americans focused on the vast consequences of our oil dependence, carmakers are scrambling to offer customers the cleanest, most fuel efficient cars,” said Environment Illinois’s Brian Granahan. “Dramatically ramping up electric vehicles can bolster America’s efforts to wean ourselves off of oil and to reduce global warming pollution.”  

A “plug-in” car is one that can be recharged from the electric grid. Some plug-in cars run on electricity alone, while others are paired with small gasoline engines to create plug-in hybrids. Many plug-in hybrids can get over 100 miles per gallon, while plug-in electric vehicles consume no gasoline at all. Plug-in vehicles produce no tailpipe pollution when operating on electricity and there is already a vast electric power infrastructure to fuel them. As renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, meet a larger share of our electricity needs, electric cars could contribute to little or no air pollution.  

“As we address the challenges of revitalizing our economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout Illinois and our country, plug-in hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles will be a key part of the solution,” said Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, a longtime champion on consumer and environmental issues. “Adopting these highly efficient vehicles can help reduce our reliance on foreign petroleum, improve air quality, and spur growth in the auto industry.”

Plug-in Cars: Powering America Toward a Cleaner Future answers many questions about plug-in vehicles and lays out a strategy for how to increase the number of electric vehicles on the road. It highlights data from existing research to show that electric vehicles can help to improve Americans’ standards of living. The key points of the paper include the following:

• Powering a car on electricity would result in 93 percent less smog-forming volatile organic compounds and 31 percent less nitrogen oxide emissions than powering a car on gasoline.

• If, by 2030, half of the light vehicles in the United States were electric vehicles powered by completely clean electricity, total fleet emissions would be reduced by 62 percent.

• Operating costs of plug-in cars are likely to be significantly lower than those of gasoline-powered cars. Electricity costs three to five cents per mile with average electric rates, or the equivalent of $0.75 to $1.25 per gallon of gasoline.  

• Utilities can structure electricity prices so that it is cheaper to charge cars at times of the day when there is lower electric demand, ensuring that a large number of plug-in cars do not put a strain on the utility.  

• The current electric system has the capacity to fuel up to 73 percent of American vehicles without building another power plant by charging vehicles at night or using solar panels by day, although grid modernization would be required to fully capitalize on its potential. 

“Environment Illinois urges our state and local officials to fully harness the power of plug-ins by offering financial incentives for buyers of plug-in vehicles, creating a low-carbon fuel standard, and adopting ‘smart grid’ technologies that would allow plug-ins to help stabilize the electric grid,” said Granahan. “We should also focus on blanketing our homes and businesses with the transportation fuel of tomorrow: solar panels, whose power could charge our idle plug-in vehicles each and every day.” 

“The electric car is a powerful tool to help us achieve energy security, lower emissions and make the electric grid smarter,” said Rebecca Stanfield, Senior Energy Advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “But there’s work to be done in Illinois to get ready. Over the next 12 months the electric utilities need to develop detailed plans to ensure that when these cars hit the showrooms, consumers can easily and safely charge their cars.”  

“At the federal level, we must ensure that our federal Environmental Protection Agency retains its commonsense authority to protect the environment through regulating global warming pollution,” said Granahan. “We urge the Illinois congressional delegation to oppose efforts to eliminate or weaken EPA authority to regulate sources of global warming emissions. And we urge the Senate to pass a comprehensive energy and global warming bill that, among other key steps, encourages the development and deployment of plug-in hybrids and other clean energy technologies.”