electric vehicles

This Earth Day brings special significance. We celebrate the 50^th Earth Day, a milestone in itself, at a time when respiratory health has never been on the mind of more people and has never been more important to humanity.

Scientists, researchers and health professionals have long shown the detrimental effects of air pollution on respiratory health. Air pollution causes increased rates of asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), premature death, heart disease and can make coronavirus cases worse.

We don’t have to live with air pollution.

We can make choices to use clean energy for electricity and transportation. Fortunately, the costs of clean energy sources such as wind and solar have fallen dramatically over the past decade, down 34% and 76% respectively, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). New wind and solar are now competitive with new natural gas generation (Bloomberg News). Electric vehicles are now cost competitive with the average price of a new car ($37k according to Edmunds.com), AND have lower operating costs. Solar, wind, and electric vehicles aren’t technological luxuries, they are smart financial choices and good for our health.

Here are a few ways to save money, reduce air pollution and save the planet:

look into getting solar with a free no-contact, or remote, solar assessment from the folks at My Generation Energy, Inc. (508-406-9133);
get an electric vehicle (see Drive Green from the Green Energy Consumers Alliance) or bike commute;
participate in your local utility’s energy efficiency program (Mass Save here in MA); and
compost food waste (especially if you have ‘pay-as-you-throw’ in your municipality).

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, utility credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

Contact Suntility Electric LLC at 508-538-4-Sun

A Suntility plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for solar operations and maintenance.

As solar rapidly becomes more common, electric vehicles are becoming more common as well. The electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) market grew 70% from 2014 to 2015 globally with 550,000 electric and hybrid cars sold worldwide in 2015 alone according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). 100,000 of those were in the U.S., second only to China with 200,000 vehicles (IEA). The market locally in Massachusetts grew by 37% in 2016 for the vehicles (Forbes).

Tax credits, rebates, lower costs of ownership, safety, and driving experience are all major benefits that prospective electric car buyers are factoring in when considering purchasing a new vehicle, especially as electric vehicle options continue to expand.

Electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles also play an important role in reducing imports of petroleum. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), in 2014, the United States imported about 27% of the petroleum it consumed, and transportation was responsible for nearly three-quarters of total U.S. petroleum consumption. Switching to electric vehicles therefore reduces the need for foreign oil.

How clean really are these cars? Electric vehicles, while they do have some greenhouse gas emissions associated with their use and manufacture, are significantly cleaner than conventional gasoline engines. For example, based on a 2015 study performed by the Union of Concerned Scientists, battery-electric vehicles have half the life cycle global warming emissions of gasoline vehicles.

Charging infrastructure is a key element to further adoption. Charging stations have been rapidly expanding domestically and internationally, with over 40,000 in the U.S. and an estimated 1.45 million globally according to DOE figures. Many major transportation corridors and public locations host charging stations that are either free or have a nominal fee.

With electric car sales expanding quickly in the U.S., many countries are seeing electric vehicles as a much more significant percentage share of their domestic car sales. For example, Netherlands and Norway have seen electric vehicle sales as a percentage of total sales, well above 7.5% of total sales with the Netherlands percentage of EV sales around 10% and Norway around 25% (IEA). These markets illustrate the burgeoning potential of these vehicles and the commercial opportunities for electric vehicle manufacturers.

U.S., China, and Japan, despite large and growing electric vehicle sales, are only in the early stages of EV technology capturing greater market share. Innovative and established car makers alike are racing to provide the electric vehicles that consumers are demanding and our economies and environment need.

Earth Day: We Don’t Have To Live With Air Pollution

Electric Vehicles & Solar, A Powerful Combination