Electric Trucks Can Drive Us Toward Environmental Justice

The growing market for electric trucks will eventually eliminate their emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and fine particulate matter, which adversely affect human health. (AutoInformed: EPA Final Heavy-Duty Truck Standards Released, Well, Finally; NADA, American Truck Dealers Oppose Cleaner Trucks)

“Recent and pending regulations could boost this transition dramatically, particularly if the proposed EPA truck emissions rule is strengthened. While the greenhouse gas reduction benefits of electric trucks are substantial, an array of recent studies shines new light on the health and environmental justice benefits,” said Steven Nadel, of The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).* Replacing diesel trucks with electric trucks will be most significant where truck routes are commonly situated – in neighborhoods with people of color and low-income residents.

ACEEE Key Points

• Research by the American Lung Association has found that trucks (medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including buses) represent approximately 6% of the on-road vehicle fleet as of 2020, but generate 59% of on-road vehicle NOx emissions and 55% of particle pollution.
• EPA observes that NOx and fine particle matter pollution can affect the lungs and heart, contributing to respiratory diseases such as asthma and heart problems.
• Pollution is disproportionately affecting communities of color and low-income communities. Interstate highways were often routed through communities of color and low-income communities.
• Moreover,  as observed by the Urban Institute, highways and other major roads tend to reduce the property values of nearby residences, and one result is that a disproportionate share of people of color and people with low incomes live near them.

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*The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a non-profit research organization, “develops policies to reduce energy waste and combat climate change. Its independent analysis advances investments, programs, and behaviors that use energy more effectively and help build an equitable clean energy future.”