Communications of the ACM
Researchers Model the Health Benefits of Electric Cars, Find 'Large Improvement in Air Quality'
A study by researchers at the University of Toronto predicted the potential human health benefits of a large-scale transition to electric cars.
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Researchers at the University of Toronto (U of T) in Canada created computer simulations of the potential human health benefits of a large-scale transition to electric cars across the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GHTA).
The simulations explored the impact of replacing 20%, 50%, or 100% of cars and sport utility vehicles in the GTHA with electric models, as well as replacing transit buses with electric buses and transport trucks with models that generate fewer emissions.
The researchers calculated the predicted reduction in emissions for various air pollutants in each scenario, then estimated the resulting reduction in premature deaths. Finally, they converted this reduction into a dollar figure to measure the switchover's social impact.
U of T's Marianne Hatzopoulou said, "If you bring it down to an individual level, each electric vehicle replacing a gas-powered one brings nearly $10,000 in social benefits."
From U of T News
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Abstracts Copyright © 2020 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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