Clean Transportation

Clean Transportation

Clean Transportation

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.



What is clean transportation?

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.

Why is clean transportation essential?

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.

Victory!

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.

What We Are Doing

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.

What You Can Do

November 18, 2020

DETROIT, MI – Today, speaking at the 2020 Barclays Global Automotive Conference, General Motors (GM) CEO Mary Barra announced that the automaker plans to spend an additional $7 billion on electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles by 2025 -- up from the $20 billion the automaker announced before the COVID-19 pandemic -- and stressed the automaker’s commitment to providing electric vehicles in a variety of styles and at different prices. Barra said the automaker plans to release 30 new models by 2025 globally, two-thirds of which would be available in North America.

November 19, 2020

HARRISBURG, PA -- Last night, the Pennsylvania House passed SB 845, a bill that would impose an annual registration fee of $175 for drivers of electric vehicles and $75 for drivers of hybrid vehicles, a strong disincentive that cancels out the benefits of consumer rebates and threatens to slow the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

November 9, 2020

BOSTON, MA -- At a Fiscal Management Control Board meeting today, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) doubled down on procurements of fossil fuel powered buses, failed to make any commitment to set a target year for 100% electrification of its bus fleet (such as other major cities like New York, Chicago and Minneapolis, which have committed to 100% by 2040), and proposed plans to make significant service

October 26, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, E&E News published the findings of a monthslong investigation that found two major US automakers, General Motors (GM) and Ford Motor Company, knew emissions from automobiles contributed to climate change as early as the 1960s. In the decades to follow, they spread misinformation and lobbied nationally and globally against climate policies.

October 16, 2020

Nationwide — The 10th annual National Drive Electric Week, a widespread celebration of electric vehicles (EVs), was held September 26–October 4 and hosted over 150 online events. 

October 1, 2020

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, during the 10th annual National Drive Electric Week, the Washington Post released a story on a report from the Sierra Club and 17 partner organizations calling on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to commit to

September 22, 2020

Nationwide — The tenth annual National Drive Electric Week, a coast-to-coast celebration of electric vehicles (EVs), will be held September 26–October 4 and include more than 100 online events for the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign highlights the environmental, health, and consumer benefits of clean plug-in vehicles and is hosted each year by Plug In America, Sierra Club and Electric Auto Association.

September 8, 2020

NATIONWIDE – Today, Uber announced a commitment to reach 100% electric vehicle rides by 2030 in the US, Canada, and Europe, and by 2040 for the rest of the world. In June, ride-hailing company Lyft committed to 100% electric vehicle rides on its platform by 2030.

August 31, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled against the Trump Administration’s efforts to skirt the law and give a pass to allow automakers to pollute more. Today’s ruling states that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must apply the higher penalties issued under the Obama administration when automakers fail to meet the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.

August 27, 2020

San Francisco, California-- Today, in a 5-0 vote, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously approved Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Charge Ready 2 program, a $436 million electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure program that will support deploying up to 38,000 new charging stations across Southern California over the next four years.