Electric vehicles promise cleaner air and less climate pollution. But a new analysis suggests that even a global all-EV fleet would perpetuate some of the most devastating impacts of cars and auto infrastructure.
The modern world moves itself around in roughly 2 billion motor vehicles, 65% of which are cars. That’s 16 automobiles for every 100 people, but the rate of car ownership is much higher in richer industrialized countries, where cars give shape to cities and set the patterns of daily life. This fleet requires substantial, ongoing investment in roads and highways, car storage (or “parking,” in the jargon), oil exploration and fuel production, metals mining and manufacturing, insurance and much more.
