Are Electric Vehicles Better For The Environment

It seems like more and more people are purchasing electric cars everyday, infact, it is very likely that you yourself have or know someone who has an electric vehicle. When asked why these people decided to make the purchase, the response would more than likely be that they wanted a car that was better for the environment. However, various research studies have proven that electric vehicles are not that much better for the environment, in fact they worsen the environment. For example, according to a new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, electric vehicles are worse for the environment per mile than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles (Russel, J. 2015). Another factor that harms our environment is the use of coal, of which electric cars produce 3.6 times more soot and smog deaths than gas. That is due to the pollution made in generating the electricity, according to a separate study published in December by the Carnegie Institution for Science (Zolfagharifard, E. 2015).

However, over and over again these are proven wrong. In spite of this, the federal government still pays $7,500 to $13,000 for every electric car purchased. That is money coming out of a taxpayer’s pocket (Russel, J. 2015). This is money that could benefit good causes and could actually benefit our environment. Also, over ninety percent of local environmental externalities from driving an electric vehicle in one state are exported to others. That implies that electric vehicles may be subsidized locally, even though they may lead to negative environmental benefits