Research from the University of California, Berkeley, has revealed the first evidence of the positive impacts of electric vehicles (EVs) on lowering carbon footprints.
Pioneered by Ronald Cohen, a UC Berkeley professor of chemistry, the study set up an extensive CO2 monitoring network around the San Francisco Bay Area to analyse if and by how much EVs can lower the region’s carbon footprint.
The analysis revealed that EVs are contributing to lower emissions in the area. “We show from atmospheric measurements that adoption of electric vehicles is working, that it’s having the intended effect on CO2 emissions,” Cohen said.
With an estimated 70% of CO2 emissions emanating from cities, the study highlights the critical need for increasing EV adoption to meet climate targets.
Monitoring the impacts of EVs on carbon emissions
Between 2018 and 2022, the CO2 monitoring network, known as the Berkeley Environmental Air Quality and CO2 Network (BEACO2N), recorded small but steady decreases in the area’s carbon footprint.
This network of sensors can measure five crucial air pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides (NO and NO2), ozone, and particulates (PM 2.5).
The team’s estimates combined direct CO2 measurements with meteorological data to calculate ground-level emissions.
The researchers utilised Bayesian statistical analysis, initially grounded in economic data estimates, which were then refined by incorporating measured CO2 concentrations from their network and a meteorological model. This refinement aimed to predict the precise origins of the emissions.
The 57 sensors comprising BEACO2N identified a 1.8% annual decrease, translating to a 2.6% yearly drop in vehicle emissions rates.
Trailing behind climate targets
However, the bad news is that to meet California and Bay Area emissions reduction goals, this yearly decrease needs to be much larger.
Naomi Asimow, a graduate student at the university, explained: “The state of California has set this goal for net zero emissions by 2045, and the goal is for 85% of the reduction to come from the actual reduction of emissions, as opposed to direct removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.
“What we report is around half as fast as we need to go to get to net zero emissions by 2045.”
Cohen added: “We’re at 1.8% per year today. To get to the state’s goal, we would need 3.7%. So it’s not crazy higher than where we are; we’re almost half of the way to that goal. But we have to sustain that for another 20 years.”
An economical solution to climate monitoring
Cohen contends that his sensors are cost-effective, priced at less than $10,000 each, in contrast to the Environmental Protection Agency’s pollution monitoring stations, which cost twenty times as much.
This affordability makes it feasible for major cities to establish a network for a more detailed understanding of areas with poor air quality and the sources of pollution.
Areas such as Los Angeles, Rhode Island, and Glasgow have already embraced Cohen’s sensors, utilising them to develop their own pollution monitoring systems.
Overall, the study highlights the exciting potential to make a meaningful impact on reducing the carbon footprint of our most polluted areas.
Moving forward, accelerating efforts to adopt EVs is crucial in achieving our goals for a sustainable future.
