Sustainable Transportation News Releases

Eugene, OR—Increasing America’s use of  plug-in electric and plug-in hybrid cars would dramatically reduce global warming and toxic air pollution and would curb our dependence on oil, according to a new report released today by Environment Oregon.    

“Over the past three years, Oregon has well-positioned itself with the business energy tax credit, California tailpipe emissions standard, and low carbon fuel standard to be a leader in the manufacture and deployment of clean cars like plug-in electric vehicles,” said Brock Howell, State Policy Advocate for Environment Oregon.  “Eugene’s Arcimoto exemplifies the shift in market demand for vehicles that save people money, eliminate oil consumption, and reduce global warming pollution.” 

A “plug-in” car is one that can be recharged from the electric grid. Some plug-in cars run on electricity alone, while others are paired with small gasoline engines to create plug-in hybrids. Many plug-in hybrids can get over 100 miles per gallon, while plug-in electric vehicles consume no gasoline at all.   When operating on electricity, plug-in cars produce no direct tailpipe pollution and there is already a vast electric power infrastructure to fuel them.   As renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, meet a larger share of our electricity needs, electric car could contribute little or no air pollution.   

 “By charging plug-in cars at night and with solar panels during the day, the current electric grid has the capacity to fuel up to 73 percent of American vehicles without building a single new power plant,” said Howell.  “If we plan our cities today for a future of compact development, smart grid technology, and rooftop solar, we can take advantage of our electric grid’s enormous potential to support plug-in cars and sustainable transportation.” 

This technology can make a major contribution to America’s efforts to reduce global warming pollution. Currently transportation emits more than one-third of Oregon’s global warming pollution.  Switching to plug-in cars will improve air quality for most Americans while reducing oil consumption.

“How clean our cars will no longer be dependent on the number of miles we drive or whether we drive a Hummer,” said Howell.  “When 30% of drivers shift to light rail, buses, and biking and the other 70% drive plug-in vehicles, our transportation will only be as dirty as the power sources of our electric grid.”

Not only does our electric grid possess the current capacity to plug-in electric cars, electric cars also have several other advantages that drivers will enjoy.  Unlike gasoline-powered vehicles, plug-in cars require far less regular maintenance and no oil changes.  In addition, plug-in cars have smooth torque without the jarring shifting of gears that is required by gasoline-powered vehicles. 

“In Oregon, where our gasoline has exceptionally high levels of benzene – a known carcinogen – the benefits of plug-in cars to reduce toxic air pollution should not be overlooked,” said Howell.  “By shifting more of our vehicles to plug-ins, we can clean-up our air and reduce the risks of cancer and other diseases.”  

Plug-in Cars: Powering America Toward a Cleaner Future answers many questions about plug-in vehicles and lays out a strategy for how to increase the number of electric vehicles on the road. It highlights data from existing research to show that electric vehicles can help to improve Americans’ standards of living. The key points of the paper include the following: 

• If half of the light vehicles in the United States were electric vehicles powered by completely clean electricity in 2030, total fleet emissions would be reduced by 62 percent.  
   
• If three-fourths of American passenger vehicles were electric, oil use would be reduced by about one-third. 
   
• Powering a car on electricity would result in 93 percent less smog-forming volatile organic compounds and 31 percent less nitrogen oxide emissions than powering a car on gasoline.  
   
• Operating costs of plug-in cars are likely to be significantly lower than those of gasoline-powered cars. Electricity costs three to five cents per mile with average electric rates, or the equivalent of $0.75 to $1.25 per gallon of gasoline.
   
• Utilities can structure electricity prices so that it is cheaper to charge cars at times of the day when there is lower electric demand, ensuring that a large number of plug-in cars do not put a strain on the utility.
   
• Unlocking the full environmental and economic potential of plug-in vehicles will require efforts to clean up and modernize America’s electric grid.

The evidence of the benefits of plug-in cars is here on the ground in Eugene, Oregon.  Just as the fall of the ‘Big Three’ car manufacturers in Detroit has left many Michiganders out of work, Eugene has had a similar experience in the RV manufacturing industry.

“Under the leadership of Mark Frohnmayer, Arcimoto is bringing jobs to Oregon and the people of Eugene,” said Howell.  Arcimoto is Oregon’s first electric vehicle manufacturer and expects to sell its first vehicles in late 2010.

“And it’s the entrepreneurs like Joseph McKinney of Oregon Roads, Inc., who keep Oregon economy strong,” said Howell.  “Despite of being a car dealer – or because he is one – Joseph McKinney understands the need for sustainable transportation and plug-in cars in order to keep his business viable in the long run.”

The report released today makes clear that plug-in cars and sustainable transportation will create new jobs and businesses, save drivers on operational costs, and reduce global warming and toxic air pollution.  Based on these findings, Environment Oregon calls for Oregon to take the following actions:

• Pass legislation the February adopting the recommendation of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Greenhouse Gas Task Force to enable the regions of Salem, Corvallis, Eugene, Medford, and Bend to meet the state goals to reduce greenhouse gas from transportation by developing plans unique to their localities.
   
• Protect the business energy tax credit while making it work more transparently and efficiently.
   
• Finalize the rulemaking of the low carbon fuel standard.
   
• Adopt by executive order the more stringent tailpipe emissions standard that is being developed by California.
   
• Create a task force on how to expand smart grid technology.
   
• Shutdown the dirtiest power plants like PGE’s Boardman coal-fired power plant while expanding  renewable energies like rooftop solar and wind farms in order to assure plug-in cars are as zero-emission as possible.

Speaking at the press conference for the release of the Plug-In Cars report were Brock Howell, Mark Frohnmayer, and Joseph McKinney.  In addition, several legislators attended as audience members, including Representatives Nancy Nathanson, Phil Barnhart, and Terry Beyer, as well as former state Public Utility Commissioner and current state senate candidate Lee Beyer.