Outdoor air pollution causes more than four million premature deaths annually, and about one-quarter of them occur in China. Vehicles powered by fossil fuels are a main contributor to that pollution, releasing carbon monoxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and other compounds that are dangerous to humans when inhaled. EVs started growing in popularity about a decade ago. Around this time, researchers began studying the connection between vehicle electrification and air quality. Although modelling studies projected that EVs would lead to drastic reductions in pollutants from fossil-fuelled cars, they lacked empirical evidence to prove it. Now, large studies in countries including China, and residential areas across the state of California, have measured lower levels of pollutants in the air as more EVs are added to the roads. China is the world leader in the manufacture and sale of EVs. In the past two decades, it is estimated that the Chinese government has invested hundreds...
learn more
