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Buying an electric vehicle is a responsible act
EV drivers cite many reasons for giving up their petrol cars and buying an EV: lower running costs, high resale value, quick and quiet acceleration, and helping to reduce CO2 emissions. But what could be more convincing than saving human lives?
The study used epidemiological data on exposure to pollutants to forecast reductions in emissions of various atmospheric pollutants.
Considerable social benefits
Pollution is responsible for 2,575 avoidable deaths in Paris every year. This is because.., nitrogen dioxide is the most deadly toxic gas at Paris and is a gas emitted by motor traffic, particularly diesel vehicles.
To read - Electric vehicle: 63% less CO2 emissions than a petrol vehicle
Hatzopoulou added:
I was surprised by the seriousness of this impact. On an individual level, each electric vehicle that replaces a petrol vehicle brings almost $10,000 in social benefits. These benefits are shared by everyone, not just the people who buy the cars.
Marianne Hatzopoulou
Air pollution from transport is linked to lung cancer, respiratory disorders such as asthma, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular disorders such as angina pectoris, heart attacks, hypertension and strokes.
The notion of the statistical value of a human life
The study took into account the increase in power station emissions resulting from EV charging, as well as the air pollution drifting towards Toronto from upstate New York and the American Midwest.
The researchers then created computer simulations for three scenarios, replacing 20 %, 50 % or 100 % of all cars and SUVs in the GTHA with EVs. They also modelled the effect of replacing commuter buses with electric buses. The economic or social benefits were converted into dollars using a method called statistical lifetime value.
Good to know: La statistical value of a human life is therefore calculated as the amount of money a company is prepared to pay to reduce the risk exposure of each of its members. In this way, the monetary effort made to reduce the probability of death is valued.
Results largely in favour of electric vehicles
Here are the main conclusions of the study:
- Replacing all the cars and SUVs in the region with electric vehicles would mean 313 fewer deaths per year, representing an estimated social benefit of 2.4 billion dollars.
- Replacing all transport trucks with less polluting models would result in 275 fewer deaths, for an estimated social benefit of 2.1 billion dollars.
- Replacing public transport (electric buses, for example) would result in 143 fewer deaths, for an estimated social benefit of 1.1 billion dollars.
The researcher focused on electric vehicles, separating their health benefits from other valid solutions such as work-at-home options, improved public transport, increased walking and cycling, and better management of urban planning. In conclusion, the report recommends policies that administrations at all levels can use to achieve these health and climate benefits.
The challenge of improving air quality was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. New data suggests that air pollution may be one of the main factors behind the most severe forms of COVID-19, which disproportionately affects people with pre-existing conditions such as heart and respiratory disease.
