LA metro area would benefit the most from electric vehicles: Study

In Depth: A look into electric vehicles

As gas prices continue to soar across the nation, many people are now thinking about making the switch to electric vehicles.

LOS ANGELES - In a report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association, Los Angeles-Long Beach was listed as the top metro area in the country that would benefit from the transition to zero-emission vehicles.

The report, "Zeroing in on Healthy Air," reveals that a widespread transition to vehicles powered by clean electricity generation would result in up 15,300 avoided deaths and $169 billion in public health benefits in California.

The benefits of the transition to a zero-emission transportation sector over the coming decades are outlined in the report. It illustrates the potential health and climate benefits if all new passenger vehicles sold are zero-emission by 2035 and all new trucks and buses are zero-emission by 2040. The report projects the nation's electric grid will be powered by clean, non- combustion electricity replacing fossil fuels by 2035.

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It is predicted that a nationwide transition to electric vehicles would generate more than $1.2 trillion in health benefits and $1.7 trillion in climate benefits by 2050.

In California, the report identifies that the transition would generate $169 billion in public health benefits and have other personal health benefits, including 15,300 avoided deaths, 440,000 avoided asthma attacks and 2,160,000 avoided lost work days to illness.

"The transportation sector is a leading contributor to air pollution and climate change," Will Barrett, National Senior Director of Clean Air Advocacy for the American Lung Association, said in a statement. "Thankfully, the technologies and systems are in place to make these benefits a reality, especially in communities most impacted by harmful pollution today. We need our state leaders to act to implement equitable policies and invest in the transition to healthy air today. This is an urgent health issue for millions of people in the U.S."

For more information about "Zeroing in on Healthy Air," visit Lung.org/EV.

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