Revolutionizing our transportation systems is a crucial piece of Sierra Club's work to ensure we all can live in healthy communities, move around safely, and build a future powered by renewable energy.
Cleaning up our transportation sector means giving everyone the opportunity to get around in the way that works best for them and the planet. Together, we can tackle the climate crisis and protect the air we breathe by shifting to pollution-free electric vehicles, increasing accessible and affordable public transit, and making our communities safer for walking and biking.
Over the lifetime of the vehicle, a gas car puts out 4.5x more carbon pollution and infinitely more toxic tailpipe air pollution than an electric car.
We all want to breathe clean air and protect our families from toxic pollution and climate change. Unfortunately, transportation is currently our nation's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and a major source of air pollution. To build a livable future, we must shift away from combustion vehicles and towards clean transportation.
Right now, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress want to make it harder to drive clean cars, which will increase how much money you spend at the pump. We can stop them, but we need your help to protect clean transportation options.
$5B
61,000
public EV charging stations in the US
The Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign is at the forefront of advocating for EV-related utility policies that accelerate the EV transition and deliver on the promises of the clean energy economy: lower overall energy bills, more jobs, and cleaner air and water. Read more.
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act -- the largest clean energy and climate legislation in history -- and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, cities and towns across the United States are getting funding to invest in clean transportation, including building more electric vehicle charging stations, transitioning public transit buses and school buses to zero-emission, and more.
As of now, the tax credits funded by the Inflation Reduction Act are still in effect, despite the best efforts of anti-environment politicians. These federal incentives can be used to purchase new or used electric vehicles, and can be combined with state, local, and utility provider incentives. These opportunities differ depending on where you live, so be sure to visit electricforall.org/rebates-incentives to learn exactly what’s available in your area.
Sierra Club North Star chapter with partners at a Minnesota House Hearing pushing for transit equity.
The Sierra Club is working across the country to make clean transportation options a reality. We're advocating for policies like clean car standards that have been passed in 13 states plus Washington, DC to cut pollution from our communities. And we're holding automakers accountable for offering more and affordable electric vehicles.
Going electric is just the start. In the shift to EVs, we should not replicate harmful practices in the mining industry. We're pushing automakers to respect human rights and radically transform their supply chains to be equitable, sustainable, and 100% fossil free.
We're also reducing our car dependence by advocating for reliable public transit, safe infrastructure for walking and biking, and more housing near where people work, learn, and play. This means urging local transit fleets to shift to electric buses. Cities like New York City, Washington, DC, and Albuquerque and many others are already leading the way!
Together, we can re-envision how we move around in a way that works for people and the planet.
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Take ActionToday, Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Chairman Gerry Connolly (VA-11) convened with labor leaders and climate advocates for a press conference to deliver over 150,000 petitions to the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors and over 280,000 emails to Congress urging the USPS reconsider their current plan and update their nationwide fleet with electric, union-built vehicles.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalized stronger fuel economy standards that will improve the gas mileage of vehicles and slash climate emissions and air pollution.
VIRTUAL – Today, elected officials, community activists, and environmental and transportation advocates gathered for a virtual panel to discuss the massive opportunity and responsibility the Environmental Protection Agency has this year to strengthen its proposed regulation to clean up pollution from heavy-duty vehicles.
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Highway and Safety Administration (NHTSA) just signed a final rule to reverse an illegal Trump-era loophole that allowed automakers to avoid penalty payments for new cars and trucks that violate minimum fuel-economy standards.
COLORADO - Arguing that the Polis Administration’s unnecessary delay in considering new rules to clean up truck pollution will only lead to more harm to families and communities in disproportionately impacted areas of Colorado, a coalition of environmental justice, conservation, local government and other groups today formally petitioned the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) to consider an Advanced Clean Trucks rule and a low NOx rule this spring. A copy of the filing can be found
CALIFORNIA - Today, President Biden’s EPA restored a key tool to address pollution from the transportation sector, the nation’s leading source of climate-disrupting pollution.
MINNESOTA - Today, President Biden’s EPA restored a key tool to address pollution from the transportation sector, the nation’s leading source of climate-disrupting pollution.
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the EPA finalized its rule reinstating California’s Clean Air Act waiver allowing it to set greenhouse gas standards more protective than federal standards and to adopt zero-emissions standards for light-duty vehicles, reversing an illegal and unprecedented waiver revocation by the previous administration that threatened our climate and the well-being of communities around the country.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposal for curbing emissions from heavy duty trucks, a significant source of dangerous air pollution nationwide which disproportionately impacts communities of color.
WILMINGTON, DE – Today, Governor Carney announced that Delaware will join the growing list of states that are a part of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program, which will direct manufacturers to increasingly sell electric vehicles in the state.Other ZEV states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Vermont, and Virginia.
