Viktor Musil
In the U.S., state-level EV incentives are increasingly designed to promote equitable electric vehicle adoption while addressing pollution reduction. Programs like California’s Driving Clean Assistance Program provide vouchers of up to $12,000 for low-income individuals to purchase electric vehicles, aiming to replace older, polluting internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. This policy targets not only increasing the rate of EV adoption but also reducing harmful particulate matter pollution, which disproportionately affects lower-income households. Older vehicles are responsible for a significant portion of pollution despite making up a small percentage of the vehicles on the road.
In two American states, incentives for electric vehicles are designed with specific customers in mind and aim to advance larger policy objectives like reducing pollution reduction
Two European states are developing programs that are based on equity and reducing pollution by offering incentives to encourage consumers to purchase electric vehicles.California will launch its Driving Clean Assistance Program later this year, which will award vouchers worth up to$ 12, 000 toward the purchase of an electric vehicle if the recipient scraps an older internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Recipients must also earn less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $93,600 for a family of four.”We want to see these incentives succeed in increasing the rate of transition to electric vehicles. That’s an important outcome we want to see”, said David Reichmuth, top engineer for the Clear Transportation program with the Union for Concerned Scientists. However, we even see this as an opportunity to remove the most damaging combustion vehicles from the road and lessen their impact on people’s health.
Promoting Equal EV Adoption: Addressing Income Disparities and Reducing Pollution through State Incentive Programs
Reichmuth addressed an online panel discussion on how to promote equal EV adoption in the United States on August 13 during an online panel discussion moderated by Forth Mobility.
Adoption is linked to income, which is a growing trend of incentive programs, especially those at the state level, which provides monetary assistance to those who are most in need. An increasing selection of energy vehicles at more affordable price points, some of which, in addition to being more affordable, helps these pieces of public policy.
“Ten years ago the only long-range option was a $90,000 new Tesla. We’re presently in a position where both new and used electric vehicles are available for the average car buyer, Reichmuth said.
Programs like California’s Clean Driving Assistance Program, administered by the California Air Resources Board, yet, have a wider mission beyond making EVs more visible. The Clean Driving Assistance program attempts to reduce the number of outdated, wasteful vehicles traveling through the state’s streets.
Less than 20 % of the vehicles on the road, according to a study conducted by the Union for Concerned Scientists in collaboration with the Greenlining Institute, and only 13% of the state’s annual miles driven are driven by vehicles 20 years or older. However, the study also discovered that those vehicles were responsible for almost 75 % of passenger vehicle nitrogen oxide, which also contributed to the formation of fine particulate matter pollution. This, Reichmuth said, is linked to” major public health impacts”.
Addressing Fine Particulate Pollution and Economic Benefits of EV Adoption: Insights from Reichmuth and Forth Mobility
Southern California is the area with the highest fine particulate matter pollution exposure, according to him, with lower-income households being proportionally exposed. He added that older ICE vehicles cost more to fuel and to keep up.
“So there can be an economic benefit for households who can replace their older gasoline cars with EVs,” said Reichmuth.
According to Ed de la Fuente, Forth Mobility older program manager, for incentive programs to succeed, it takes more than just funding them to be prosperous. They also require suitable education and public awareness campaigns.
De la Fuente noted programs like the Washington EV Instant Rebate Program, which are also available to buyers earning up to 30% of the federal poverty level, in an Aug. 13 article. “It’s quite amazing how there are these great programs out there and people are simply not aware of them.” The incentive provides $2,500 to $9,000 off the price of the EV at the time of purchase.
Boosting EV Adoption: The Need for Accessible Funding and Evolving Incentives as Market Grows
We must undoubtedly keep the funds coming” she said. But make it simpler for people to find out about them and access the funds, de le Fuente said.
By all measures, electric vehicle adoption is growing in the United States. According to a recent report from the National Renewable Energy Lab, the mass market sale of electric vehicles started in 2010 with just a select few models, and the sector required nearly eight years to sell 1 million cars globally. Therefore, it just took two-and-a-half years to sell 2 million vehicles, today, EVs account for 7 percent to 10 percent of new car sales in the U.S. But in California, that number is even higher, and electric vehicles make up 25 percent of new car sales, according to the EV sales tracking site Veloz.
Reichmuth remarked,” That’s amazing growth,” noting that the market has advanced past the early adopter stage and that incentives must be changed to accomplish more than simply putting EVs on the road.
“And we’re getting more into the mainstream buyers. And that also means that we are in a position where it is difficult to keep up funding state-level rebates for all EV purchases, he said, adding that incentive programs must “address barriers to adoption and even look at inequities.”
