UCLA and Berkeley National Lab researchers offer EV policy recommendations, shifting economic incentives toward high-mileage drivers
August 29, 2019Increasing the number of electric vehicles is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality in L.A. and other cities. A recent paper published in Environmental Research Letter by Deepak Rajagopal (associate professor in the Institute of Environment and Sustainability at UCLA) and Amol Phadke (Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories) argues that policymakers could expand the climate benefits of electric vehicles by directing government subsidies toward the cars that spend the most time on the road – such as taxis, and vehicles used for Uber and Lyft.
Shifting economic incentives toward high-mileage drivers could help expand access to electric vehicles in low-income households. Current government incentives, which focus on maximizing the number of electric vehicles sold, favor high and middle income households.
Learn more at UCLA Newsroom.