Could Increase Access to EV Charging Stations Help Improve Public Health

1. Could Increase Access to EV Charging Stations Help Improve Public Health? There are many reasons why electric cars are seen as a great step forward and why they’re rapidly increasing in popularity. For one, electric vehicles are incredibly convenient. Veloz calculates that there are currently at least 1.7 million EVs in the United States, with over 803,800 in California alone. EV drivers can charge overnight at home, or they can use a commercial charging station at popular locations such as public parking lots, workplaces, healthcare facilities, and retailers. In fact, according to the US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, there are over 45,000 EV charging stations in the US. Of that number, almost 42,000 are open to the public. While conversations about electric cars usually focus on the environment, they’re also beneficial to the community as a whole. Let’s explore why EV charging solutions are key to improved public health nationwide.

2. How Could Electric Vehicles Improve Public Health? As zero-emission vehicles, electric cars do not emit the CO2 that harms the environment and contributes to global climate change. But switching to electric improves public health! That’s because breathing in smog caused by pollutants can cause diseases in the heart and lungs. As of now, those pollutants harm the general public, even disproportionately hurting disadvantaged communities. In a 2015 report from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the “rates of premature death due to air pollution [were] 45% higher in high-poverty neighborhoods and 33% higher in neighborhoods in which the majority of residents [were] people of color.” In the same neighborhoods, the rate of visits to the emergency room due to an asthma-related incident was 5x higher and 4x higher respectively. There are even links between air pollution and low test scores at schools in urban environments! More recently, the American Lung Association discussed health equity and climate in two 2020 reports. The “State of the Air” report noted that “people of color were 1.5 times more likely to live in a county with at least one failing grade [for ozone and/or particle pollution], and 3.2 times more likely to live in a county with a failing grade for unhealthy ozone days, particle pollution days and annual particle levels.” The electric vehicle report “The Road to Clean Air” calculated the health benefits of electric cars: “The widespread transition to zero-emission transportation technologies could produce emission reductions in 2050 that could add up to $72 billion in avoided health harms, saving approximately 6,300 lives and avoiding more than 93,000 asthma attacks and 416,000 lost work days annually due to significant reductions in transportation- related pollution.” With electric vehicles as the EV charging solution to improve public health, clean air is possible. Read more: https://semaconnect.in/2021/04/could-increased-access-to-ev- charging-stations-help-improve-public-health/