The Surprising Affordability Of Used Electric Vehicles Shows How California Climate Policies Can Fight Inequity

The Surprising Affordability Of Used Electric Vehicles Shows How California Climate Policies Can Fight Inequity

Share to Linkedin California has led the United States in electric vehicle adoption for decades, cutting pollution and driving innovation, but EVs are still perceived as a luxury available only to the wealthy. New research focusing on non-luxury used EVs shows they are actually cheaper to own than used gasoline-powered cars, promising growing household budget relief for all Californians. The original case for EVs was primarily their public health benefits, especially in California which has six of America's ten most-polluted cities, 80 percent of it traceable to transportation. Tailpipe emissions are even more dangerous than previously understood, while cars and light trucks are the state's single-largest source of greenhouse gas pollution. Chevrolet Bolt electric car in Danville, California, March, 2020. (Photo by Smith ... [+] Collection/Gado/Getty Images) New research quantifies consumer savings from three-to-four-year-old EVs, adding to health and climate benefits from EVs. Used EVs save consumers $500 - $1, 000 on average compared to similar gas cars due to lower fuel and maintenance costs, saving on "fuel" because they are three times more energy efficient as gas cars, while EV maintenance costs about half as much. The gasoline price shocks that recently rocked the East Coast demonstrate how EVs