Electric Vehicles Are Not the Solution. Sustainable Transit Is.

In the past two years, the Biden Administration has enacted major policies to increase the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates $7.5 billion to develop and improve domestic EV charging infrastructure and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) updates existing EV subsidies and manufacturing requirements. While these initiatives are a step in the right direction to combat climate change, they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, sustainable mass transit should be the central U.S. transportation policy solution to fight climate change. Unlike investments in EVs, investments in sustainable transit solutions like light rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) can reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing car-centrism and improving public transit access.

EV production is unsustainable. EV batteries are composed of several rare earth minerals, including cobalt and lithium. Mining companies expose nearby communities to high levels of toxins that are especially harmful to children. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they violate human rights via unsafe working conditions. There is also a lack of regulation over the large volume of water necessary to mine lithium, causing water shortages for local farmers and causing harm to the surrounding ecology. Moreover, cars require large amounts of steel, lead, plastics, and other chemicals whose production contributes to high greenhouse gas emissions.

Although EVs do not directly emit fossil fuels, the energy generated to charge an EV predominately comes from fossil fuel power plants. Power plants account for two billion metric tons of CO2 per year, a value that could exponentially grow with greater use of EVs.

President Biden’s goal of 50% of new cars sold as electric by 2030 would require a 15-fold increase in EV production, necessitating a substantial expansion of manufacturing and increased use of fossil fuels. The IRA’s new sourcing requirements for critical minerals for EV batteries could create bottlenecks in the EV supply chain.

Even if EV production became sustainable overnight, it is not the silver bullet solution to climate change. Americans hesitate to buy EVs, impeding the potential of EVs to truly help limit pollution. EVs currently comprise less than 1% of total cars, SUVs, and light-duty trucks on the road. While momentum is shifting, surveys show that about half of Americans are unlikely to seriously consider purchasing an EV. Simulations show that EV tax subsidies and building more charging stations are ineffective at increasing adoption. Households that purchase EVs also tend to earn more than $100,000 per year, meaning that many low- and moderate-income American families likely cannot afford EVs even with IRA tax credits. The upfront cost of an EV is about $18,000 higher on average than a gas car and while consumers save money on reduced fuel consumption and lower maintenance costs, this high upfront cost can further impede adoption.

The IRA provides little funding for non-car initiatives. The legislation allocates just $1 billion for clean heavy-duty vehicles (like buses) and only $3 billion to invest in projects to address neighborhood equity, safety, and affordable transportation. The IRA is based on the premise that EVs are the primary solution to lower transportation emissions, leading critics to argue that it promotes car-centrism and does not incentivize Americans to shift to other forms of transportation, such as biking. The original Build Back Better Act included financial incentives for e-bikes and electric motorcycles, which would be cheaper and have a substantial effect on reducing emissions. Democratic lawmakers cut these incentives during their negotiations in summer 2022.

To truly combat the climate crisis, the U.S. must shift its priorities and develop sustainable mass transit options. This includes investments in light rail and BRT across the country, both of which can take advantage of existing road infrastructure. Local governments and regional transit agencies can construct light rail systems alongside an existing street network without needing new construction for tunnels. These systems can be powered by electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

Local governments should also invest in electric buses and create designated bus lanes within existing roads to improve service. Transit agencies can interlink bus systems with rail systems to make transferring easier, making public transit a more viable and appealing alternative for riders. Both options carry more riders per vehicle, reducing vehicle congestion and overall emissions, while also requiring less funding than new infrastructure. Jakarta, Indonesia provides an excellent model of the effects of a well-designed BRT system. The Transjakarta system, at over 250 kilometers, is the world’s longest and links to local buses and microbuses to serve more residential areas. Similar initiatives around the world have proven successful, with the annual CO2 reduction from a city investing in BRT equivalent to taking 20,000 – 40,000 cars off the road.

In the U.S., low-density, car-centric cities should follow the lead of Indianapolis’ IndyGo service, one of the country’s first all-electric BRT systems. The buses run frequently, particularly during peak commuting hours, reducing overall traffic congestion. Indianapolis accomplished this through minor tax increases to generate just over $50 million per year, a small price to pay for reducing emissions and decreasing residents’ reliance on driving. Similar systems like Cleveland’s Healthline and Pittsburgh’s Busways have also proven successful.

The U.S. needs to ditch the idea of relying on EVs to mitigate transportation emissions. Instead, the Biden Administration should focus its efforts and investments on light rail and BRT. By pairing public transit routes with new business and housing developments, cities can become more dense, vibrant, and livable. These changes will reduce the overall number of cars on the road, mitigating transportation-related emissions and creating better transit access for Americans.