Electric vehicles & the Environment
Air quality and life expectancy
The need for cleaner, more environmentally friendly transportation has never been greater. The World Health Organisation states that air pollution poses the greatest environmental threat to global health in 2019. It reports that nine out of ten people breathe polluted air every day, with ambient and household pollution killing 7 million people prematurely every year.
Carbon and nitrogen dioxide
It is now widely acknowledged that diesel emits dangerously high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and petrol produces high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2). Still heavily reliant on burning fossil fuels, the global transport sector is one of the biggest producers of CO2, more than doubling its emissions since 1970. In Europe, transport is the biggest source of carbon emissions, with cars and vans responsible for more than two-thirds of this.
Co2 and No2 impacts
Nitrogen dioxide damages not only human health but also ecosystems. There is a heavy weight of science-led evidence that links the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with climate change and global warming. The economic impacts of air pollution are significant: in the countries that emit the most greenhouse gas emissions, the health impacts of air pollution are estimated to cost more than 4% of their GDP.
Electric and the commercial vehicle sector
The van is an essential tool in the UK economy, with 4.6 million on our roads, it keeps one in ten people in work and contributes a combined wage bill of £56 billion. Since 2000, the light commercial vehicle sector has grown by 59%, almost double the growth seen in the passenger car market. In 2018, 0.3% of new vans registered were electrified. Projected for exponential growth, electric vans will become increasingly attractive to businesses because of their environmental and financial benefits.
Government environmental policy
Government legislation like London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will target all but the cleanest cars and vans, charging £12.50 per day to non-compliant vehicles. Businesses adopting an electric fleet will both enjoy the financial benefits and make a positive contribution to reducing their carbon footprint.
Clean electric travel
Fully electric, battery-powered cars do not emit any harmful emissions whilst being driven, setting them apart from traditional petrol and diesel-powered vehicles. They also help to keep the air we breathe clean by minimising the build-up of fine particulate matter in our cities, where often air quality is the poorest.