Vehicle electrification is often framed as a way to reduce transportation sector emissions, currently the largest emitting sector in the US economy. Although this is an important goal, focusing exclusively on it obscures the numerous other benefits that electric vehicles can provide. Furthermore, it narrows the focus to electric light duty vehicles as they have outsize emissions and ignores the benefits of other means of electrifying VMT with small EVs like electric bikes. This study investigates how we can sustainably, equitably, and resiliently electrify VMT using a variety of electric vehicle technologies. It examines how electric vehicles reduce fuel dependency in the transportation sector and compares their energy efficiency with that of their internal combustion engine counterparts. Then we comment on how these innovations could impact society especially marginalized communities.
