Electric vehicles are more efficient, cheaper to run, require less servicing and can be charged from renewable energy. Most importantly, for your health, they have zero tailpipe emissions. These include not just planet warming CO2, but noxious particulates, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur.

The Department of Environment and Energy discussion paper, Better Fuel for Cleaner Air, states:

‘Noxious emissions from motor vehicles are particularly harmful to human health.’

Poor air quality is responsible for an estimated 3,000 premature deaths in Australia each year at a cost to the economy of $7.8 billion. Australia’s vehicle emission and fuel standards are near the bottom of the OECD, an unacceptable fact given the impacts on cardiovascular, respiratory and infant and child health.

Deteriorating air quality is driving the development of electric cars. Most major car manufacturers are investing heavily in electric vehicles, as some nations look to ban the internal combustion engine by 2030-2040; the UK and France by 2040 and India by 2030. China last year announced aggressive new quotas for new energy vehicles (NEVs), meaning battery, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. One Chinese car company, Great Wall Motors, has invested in Australian lithium mining, signalling strong confidence in lithium, which is used for electric vehicles and energy storage.

via Electric vehicles threaten oil but are a boon for health