Since German automaker Volkswagen admitted to outfitting millions of “clean diesel” cars worldwide with software designed to circumvent emissions tests, these staggering revelations have bolstered an important conversation about the need to revamp our cars and the way we fuel them.
Real-world tests show that the doctored cars emit as much as 40 times the nitrogen oxides pollution allowed by clean air safeguards. Nitrogen oxides from cars are a key component of smog, which causes around 58,000 early deaths a year in America alone. Vox.com estimated that the 11 million affected vehicles worldwide could be causing as much air pollution as 20 coal plants every year. Although Volkswagen faces billions in fines, people around the world breathing dirtier air will be paying with their health -- in some cases with their lives. Just this week, the Center for Auto Safety filed a lawsuit seeking to force the company to remediate the damage it has caused.
Fortunately, the car industry is changing quickly. This isn’t a time to cling to the outdated technologies and fuel sources of the past. Volkswagen's German competitor, BMW, has already announced plans to convert virtually its entire lineup of vehicles to plug-in models within the next 10 years. Volvo has announced that in two years’ time, 10 percent of its global sales will be electric vehicles (EVs). Tesla, the first U.S.-based all-electric car company, recently announced its first plug-in electric SUV. And many other, more-affordable plug-in models, like the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus EV, and Chevrolet Volt, are moving EVs into the mainstream. A new Motor Trend report shows that the new features and lower price tag on the Chevy Volt will make many people think twice before purchasing a traditional vehicle.
Volkswagen, and all automakers, need to let go of that past if they want to see the future. Otherwise, they'll be left behind. Instead of relying on incremental, expensive technologies, car companies are meeting emissions standards while developing affordable cars that use less gasoline or none at all.
Even when using electricity from today’s energy sources, electric vehicles are already cleaner than conventional cars, and they will get even cleaner over time as we shift to more renewable sources of power. Automakers are putting these cars in the fast lane, and today there are more than 20 models of plug-in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles offered by a range of automakers.
Volkswagen seems to be getting the message. In a recent statement, Herbert Diess, head of the German manufacturer's largest unit, said, "The Volkswagen brand is repositioning itself for the future. We are creating room for forward-looking technologies by speeding up the efficiency program." VW announced plans to develop standardized components for electric vehicles with ranges as great as 310 miles. The shift away from diesel includes redesigning the currently gasoline-powered flagship Phaeton sedan as an all-electric model and axing its diesel-run counterpart.
With more automakers offering EVs than ever before, last month the millionth EV was sold worldwide. In some parts of the U.S., it's no longer surprising to drive alongside Tesla Model S’s, Nissan Leafs, and Chevy Volts on the highway. And Volkswagen is taking note and starting to move in the right direction. But there’s no doubt they could, and should, go much further to protect their brand and give consumers what they want. VW needs to to leave behind both “clean” diesel and oil in favor of cars that are actually dramatically cleaner. In fact, in this online action, we make it easy for you to email VW to urge them to sell all plug-in vehicles by 2025.
When we drive alongside plug-in electric Beetles, Jettas, and Touaregs, the objects in our rearview mirrors won’t just be closer than they appear, but better for the planet, too.