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 ActionNATIONWIDE -- Today, the Sierra Club, Plug In America, the Electrification Coalition, and Forth, released a newly updated version of AchiEVe: Model Policies to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Adoption, the most current and comprehensive national toolkit designed to accelerate the switch to clean, electric vehicles (EVs) in an effective and equitable way by providing various stakeholders with model EV policies at the state, local, and utility levels.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Sierra Club today urged the Senate to take up and pass H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, as a critical step to improving the nation’s rail and public transit infrastructure. The act was passed by the House of Representatives on July 2, 2020.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced its plans to evaluate the EPA’s rollback - finalized in March - of the clean car standards, which are the corporate average fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for light duty vehicles (or CAFE).
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed standards for greenhouse gas emissions from new aircraft. The Trump administration’s EPA has issued the proposal because without the standards, American airplanes would be barred from flying in international airspace.
ALBANY, NY– Today, the New York Department of Public Service (NYDPS) released an order for a “make ready” incentive program, allocating over $700 million in incentives for utilities to invest in electric vehicle charging across the state and expand workplace and public electric vehicle charging stations. $200 million will go directly to environmental justice and disadvantaged communities.
Washington, DC -- Today, governors from 15 states and the Mayor of the District of Columbia released a joint memorandum of understanding on their commitment to truck electrification and eliminating toxic air pollution from medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses by 2050. The states joining this effort are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington as well as the District of Columbia.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Sierra Club, alongside several environmental groups and 23 states, filed their opening brief against the Trump Administration’s attack (see standing declarations here) on California’s authority to set more stringent greenhouse gas (GHG
SACRAMENTO—The California Air Resources Board (CARB) on Thursday unanimously approved a first-in-the-nation standard that will deliver zero-emission trucks to California. The Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Rule will help slash diesel emissions, improve air quality and spur the electric truck market. Today CARB continues its legacy of safeguarding public health for all Californians.
CARSON CITY, NEVADA – Today, Governor Steve Sisolack announced that Nevada will join the growing list of over two dozen states adopting the clean car standards, which require new cars sold in the state to emit fewer greenhouse gases, as well as an increasing percentage of new cars sold in the state to be zero emission vehicles.
NATIONWIDE – Today, Lyft announced a commitment to reach 100% electric vehicle rides by 2030, which could cut 16 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, slash air pollution that exacerbates major health problems, and offer up to $10 billion in savings for drivers.
