On July 2, Pennsylvania elected officials alongside representatives of labor and public health and electric vehicle owners joined Environmental Defense Foundation Action to speak to the growing cost savings and consumer adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Harrisburg.

Citing Environmental Defense Fund’s stats pack analysis, “Pedal to the Metal,” the speakers addressed the many advantages of EVs in terms of price, performance and popularity as well as benefits to public health and the sector’s role more broadly as a jobs and economic engine.

EDF Action said there are 39 EV models available in Pennsylvania for less than the average new vehicle purchase price of $48,000, with 15 models available for less than $35,000.

Pennsylvanians can also save up to $27,700 on an electric vehicle compared to a gas-powered vehicle over 10 years.

The move to EVs is proving to be a jobs and economic engine as good-paying, family-sustaining jobs roll down the line.

Recently announced EPA clean car standards are performance-based and technology-neutral and increasingly one of the most cost-effective options since these zero-emission vehicles slash climate pollution and clean our air.

“The future of driving is electric, and that’s a very good thing for every Pennsylvanian,” said David Kieve, president of EDF Action. “President Biden’s clean energy plan has unlocked $188 billion nationwide in private investment in electric vehicle and battery production, which will lead to the creation of 195,000 jobs.

“Cleaner energy is job number one in Pennsylvania, from plugging [conventional] orphaned [oil and gas] wells in the Pittsburgh region, and nascent hydrogen hubs at either end of the state, to the fleet of EVs rolled out in Scranton by Mayor Paige Cognetti.

“If you’re not sure whether your next car, truck, or SUV should be electric, just ask one of the 64,000 people in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who own one.

“Ask them whether they miss spending their hard-earned money at the gas pump, or on costly repairs.

“Ask them if they’ve ever been behind the wheel of anything more fun to drive.

“Ask them if they appreciate how the more they drive, the more they save.

“And as ever more charging stations are installed by IBEW members who have completed the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program, more and more Pennsylvanians will have confidence in our electric future,” said Kieve.

“It’s straightforward for my constituents: they want lower costs and to keep their families healthy and safe. With electric vehicles, we accomplish both,” said Rep. Justin C. Fleming (D-Dauphin). “Thanks to President Biden’s clean energy plan, consumers can access a $7,500 cash-in-hand rebate on a new EV. Pennsylvania is on track to receive $171.5 million from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which means plentiful options for drivers to charge up. With no tailpipe emissions, EVs are already helping to clean our air and promoting a healthier environment in Pennsylvania. Plain and simple, clean cars deliver for the people of the Keystone state.”

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is making EV charging easier and more affordable for Pennsylvanians by expanding the state’s EV charging network,” said Ed Hill, international representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). “The IBEW is proud to be electrifying roads and highways across the nation with well trained and qualified members. There are 190,000 public EV charging ports in the U.S. today with over 900 being installed every week. There’s no turning back when it comes to EVs, and the IBEW is ready.”

“Asthma rates in Pennsylvania are staggeringly high, with some communities in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia regions seeing childhood asthma rates three times the national average as poor air quality exacerbates the problem,” said Dr. Deborah Gentile, a pediatric asthma physician and researcher with St. Francis University. “Over a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from the transportation sector, creating a tremendous imperative to address this pollution. Clean cars have zero tailpipe emissions and the EPA’s new standards could prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths and over 16 million asthma attacks. Summer heat is here, climate change is here – it’s time to forge solutions including zero-emission vehicles that spare our air.”

“I’m a three-time EV buyer and I'll never go back to a gas-powered vehicle,” said Susan Kaye Quinn, an EV owner from Allison Park, Allegheny County. “My EV is peppy in city driving, and while I charge mostly at home, on the road, charging is quick and easy. On trips from Pittsburgh to Chicago to visit my kids, I make a few quick stops to stretch my legs and use the restroom, charging the car in ten minutes or less, then I'm back on the road. There's no range anxiety and the trip doesn't take any longer than a gas car. The reality of EVs is that they're cheaper to run, and I never have to worry about gas prices or oil changes again. The EV future is here now in Pennsylvania and I see more EVs on the road every day.”

Visit DEP’s Electric Vehicles In PA webpage for more on the benefits, charging stations, rebates and incentives in Pennsylvania.

NewsClip:

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Climate Advocates Boost Electric Vehicles As Anti-EV Ads Run In PA

[Posted: July 2, 2024]

7/8/2024