The air we breathe can change, and with it our future. A team of researchers from the University of Toronto has just shed new light on the link between electric vehicles and public health, revealing potential that goes far beyond simply reducing CO2 emissions.
Their study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (I link it here), paints a startling picture of cleaner cities and healthier populations. But it’s not just about cleaner air: the numbers point to economic benefits that could reach hundreds of billions of dollars. Let’s take a look together, calmly.
Beyond the traffic noise, the silence that saves lives
The hum of an electric motor could be the sound of public health that improves. The professor Marianne Hatzopoulou and his team have done something extraordinary: they have quantified the impact of electric vehicles on our health in terms of dollars. And believe me, the numbers are impressive.
I'm not talking about small change, but about figures that fluctuate between the 84 and 188 billion dollars of benefits for the public health by 2050. It’s as if every electric car were a medicine that prevents diseases before they appear. And it does so simply by… existing.
And there is more: these benefits are not distributed equally. For once, however, the greatest benefit would go to the communities that have historically suffered the most from pollution: low-income or marginalized populations. The electric transition as a “leveler” of decades of environmental injustices.
The magic formula for public health: ev = clean air
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “But don’t electric cars pollute anyway, if the electricity is produced from fossil fuels?” It’s the usual question, but it’s a good question. Jean Schmitt, the study's lead author, has an answer that will surprise you.
The team simulated several scenarios, some more ambitious than others in terms of decarbonisation of the electricity grid. And guess what? Even in the least aggressive scenarios, the benefits for the public health are still in the order of tens of billions of dollars. Electric cars, by hook or by crook, have a multiplier effect on cleaning the air.
Resting on your laurels is forbidden, of course. These are just words: Professor Daniel Posen stresses that these benefits will only materialize if we continue to green our power grid. It's a bit like a diet: eating a salad once a week isn't enough if we continue to gorge on junk food.
The Time Paradox: Act Now to Breathe Better Tomorrow
There is one aspect of this research that I find particularly fascinating: the time factor. The cars we buy tomorrow morning will continue to circulate for decades. It is like planting a tree: the best time to do it was 20 years ago (but it was not possible). The second best time is now.
Professor Hatzopoulou makes it clear: we can’t wait for the grid to be completely clean before switching to electric vehicles. It would be like waiting until the gym is empty before we start working out. The point is to get started, and get started now. Let's not forget: we are talking about public health, not just numbers on a graph. These are real lives, easier breathing, fewer days of work lost to illness, millions of lives saved. It is the quality of life of entire communities that improves, silently and inexorably.
Electric Cars and Public Health: Connect the Dots ASAP
I like to think of this research as a treasure map. The treasure is a future with cleaner air and healthier people, and the X marking that spot is electric vehicles.
Like any good treasure map, there are multiple paths to get there. And the study's authors themselves are clear on one point: the adoption of electric vehicles alone will not be enough to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. It’s like thinking you can lose weight just by buying a pair of running shoes. We need a broader approach: investing in public transport, promoting active mobility, designing denser and more livable cities.
In any case, electric vehicles are not just a technological gadget or a passing fad. They are a powerful tool to improve public health and people's futures. Whatever you think of it.
