Over 90 percent of U.S. households would save on transportation energy costs by switching from gasoline-powered vehicles to EVs, a new study has determined.
The new study was authored by researchers at the University of Michigan, and was supported with funding from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. The study leveraged a geospatial model to assess three key factors in transitioning to all-electric vehicles, including transportation energy burden, fuel costs (the cost of gasoline and the cost of electricity to charge an EV), as well as greenhouse gas emissions. The study did not include vehicle purchase cost.
Researchers calculated total energy burdens and lifetime greenhouse gas emissions for new EVs and ICE-powered vehicles at the census tract level, then compared the figures between new vehicles and current on-road vehicles, while also comparing spatial variation and the extent of energy burdens and emissions for EVs and ICE-powered vehicles across the U.S.
The results of the study found that over 90 percent of households that replace ICE-powered vehicles with EVs would realize a reduction in overall transportation energy costs, as well as overall greenhouse gas emissions. The highest savings were identified on the West Coast, as well as sections of the East and South.
However, these savings are not ubiquitous across the country, with over half of the lowest-income U.S. households (roughly 8.3 million households) experiencing higher transportation burdens, which are defined in the study as more than 4 percent of household income on filling up at the gas station or charging an EV battery.
University of Michigan study indicating overall transportation savings in EV transition
“Our results confirm the potential for widespread benefits from EV adoption,” said study author Joshua Newell, an urban geographer at the University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems. “However, EV ownership in the U.S. has thus far been dominated by households with higher incomes and education levels, leaving the most vulnerable populations behind. Policy interventions are needed to increase EV accessibility so that all Americans can benefit from the EV transition.”
Subscribe to GM Authority for more GM electric vehicle news, GM technology news, GM business news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
So the headline says 90% of US would benefit from EV’s but the article says over half of the US would see a financial burden. (due to the high purchase cost and lack of charging from apartments)
This is just like all the people telling me that if I don’t like the price of diesel, to buy an EV…
If I had enough money for an HD EV truck, I could easily afford diesel for my old PAID FOR truck.
Also lower income families usually live in apartments/condos, not houses with garages. So they are paying for charging from stations…which isn’t nearly as affordable in many areas as charging at home.
I’m all for adding EV’s to the vehicle options for those it works for, but I’m not for forcing it on people.
I agree completely. They are just making up numbers to make it sound great. With the price of lithium and other metals skyrocketing in price EV’s are going to be hard sell no matter what incentives the US Government gives. I’m sure more than 10% of the US lives in apartments/condos that will have no way to charge their vehicles over night. Not to mention someone renting a house and not being able to install a fast charger.
The study didn’t address the amount of greenhouse gases produced in mining the raw materials that are used in batteries as well as the destruction of natural resources destroyed as a result of strip mining.
They wrote the results and recommendations before collecting data…
Even if correct (who’s to say the price of electricity won’t skyrocket as we overload these grids and need to rebuild them?) I would rather drive something that I enjoy driving.
Exactly right!! Currently there is no road tax on electricity. There is large amounts of tax on fuel to pay to maintain the roads. IF the majority went electric, they will need to tax electricity for road maintenance. Unfortunately that would mean your house will also cost more for power because how would they separate the two?
In Ohio I pay $200 extra to register my EV yearly. That’s way more than you’ll pay in gas tax unless you drive a lot in a car that gets under 25mpg.
I believe that $200.00 goes to replace State gas tax. Ohio gas tax is 38.5¢/ gal. Federal fas tax is 18.4¢/ gal. How do you make that up ?
Given that $200 is equivalent to 581 gallons based on the states gas tax maybe the point is the state wouldn’t need federal money to maintain the roads.
Biden as already said they would pass an electricity tax to cover the battery subsidies.
I’m in Canada where we pay close to $5/gal ($1.30/L) most of which is tax. Once they transfer all the tax to my power bill, (Including all the carbon tax created by a very smart individual) It will be so high I’ll probably be moving to a country that doesn’t care what I drive.
” the study did not take into account the purchase price of the vehicle”. Seems like that’s a critical component when the basis of the study is benefit to 90% of us households. There is this little thing called ROI, return on investment. But math is too hard for most people, especially when they’re pushing a specific agenda to a group who think energy is free. I work in the energy sector. Hold on your backside. Electric rates have been climbing quickly and are about to Skyrocket. Add in road taxes and, boom, even with all that they will still say electric vehicles benefit 90% of the country. I agree with earlier comment, the study was written before they collected any data.
“Policy interventions are needed to increase EV accessibility so that all Americans can benefit from the EV transition” – LOL, translation = “Comply or else!”
Buying an electric may have a higher initial cost, but the saving from maintenance and no fuels in just five years covers that initial cost. After that, the only large expense are tires. I know because I have a non-GM hybrid and after ten years, the only parts that cost me are tires. The engine is all original, except for the oil filter which is replaced once a year. If it was a full electric, no more oil and filter changes, either. The naysayers will be bored without their weekly engine checks!
You’re pretending the battery will still be functioning much after that five year mark.
Even the manufacturers don’t guarantee you’ll have anything like the original (already terrible) range by then.
The batteries have a warranty for 8 years/100k miles.
LOL, remember everyone else knows that too so the value of the vehicle will depreciate accordingly. There’s no free lunch!
Read the fine print, that 8 year/100k miles is only if your battery falls below the 70% capacity from new. I drive a Bolt as well as several other ICE vehicles.
The cost of replacing the battery every 100,000 miles is almost as much as a new car.
Not to mention crappy resale values as the vehiclexaccumulates 50k+ miles.
Yup, you are better off in the long run to keep a good high mpg ICE vehicle.
And the replacement batteries which probably matches the cost of fuel over that same time period, so no realized savings!
Everyone here is assuming an EV car battery lasts about as long as a cell phone… That is absolutely wrong in GM’s case at least…
The VOLT battery was designed to last 150,000 miles with daily full charges, or about 1500 full charge/discharge cycles over 5 years, so 60-90,000 miles on the battery, and trivial charging discharging additionally on the engine… I suppose VOLT battery failure HAS happened, but it is so rare that you NEVER hear of anyone replacing the battery… I haven’t.
Engine overhauls, and more importantly, BLOWN transmissions are far more common by 150,000 miles.
Battery Electrics should last around 500,000 miles before the battery needs to be replaced, since although the battery is 4-5 times bigger than the VOLT, and the total number of full charge/discharge cycles is greatly reduced, its increased age needs to be factored in, and in 12 – 15 years the battery might fail. But the FIVE year figure everyone here quotes is just fantasy.
Since Battery Electrics are commonly charged slowly at home in the middle of their capacity range (neither fully discharged, nor fully charged), the battery should last an INCREDIBLY long time… Battery studies have shown that operating the charge/discharge in the middle of its capacity range increases its longevity by a whopping 3 TIMES, as far as kilowatt-hours moving into and out of the battery.
“The new study was authored by researchers at the University of Michigan, and was supported with funding from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. ”
I’m sure there was no bias built into this study……
That’s all you need to know, BS.
Study was done by a Biden supporting liberal
Now they’re just making bleep up. It’s truly pathetic
This ESG “researcher” recommends buying a $40k EV to save $1,500 a year in gasoline. I thought universities were supposed to have smart people?
Also recommends raising EV credits, which comes from tax payers…and funnels money up to those more affluent buyers of EVs. Just seems like a transition from private oil to government electricity.
Outside of city/day to day driving these EV cars are worthless! They have there place but for the working man or woman they just don’t cut it!🤷🏻♂️
Ev propaganda is a very real thing
If only Doc Brown could bring “Mr. Fusion” on line for real.
I call this study very misleading to say the least.
Is this a joke??? This may be the most woke “study” to be published in 2023 and it’s only mid January!! How preposterous to conclude EVs would be better for 90% of us,& the poorest amongst us should be driving them first. MORE Progressive indoctrination for the masses from our “higher education” factories to support the diabolical “Global warming, I mean, Climate Change” Agenda to control EVERY aspect of our lives in 20 years or less. Wake up sheeple.
The study did not include EV vehicle purchase cost 🙂 LOL . well as a current owner of a 2022 diesel Suburban, a 2021 Tahoe and a 1999 Corvette it is safe to say it would cost close to $350,000 to replace those vehicles with EVs. Since I am in my 50’s it would be safe to say I would not live long enough to see any energy savings. This whole EV push is nuts. We drive to Florida and back from Michigan three times a year. With our diesel Suburban we only have to stop once for fuel in Tennessee when driving down or driving home. No EV the size of a Suburban will have 700+ miles of range and be able to finish the route with a 10 minute fill up. I’ll be sticking to my ICE vehicles.