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?

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 fossil fuel-powered vehicles and towards clean, renewable 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 access to public transportation, electric vehicles, and other clean transportation options.

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.

Victory!

In a landmark legal win for clean transportation, a federal court has permanently barred the Trump administration from freezing funds for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program – that is, a $5 billion federal initiative to build reliable, high-speed electric vehicle charging stations along America's highways!

The ruling means all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico now have the legal certainty they need to move forward building a nationwide charging network, free from unlawful interference. Sierra Club and partners brought this case on behalf of members who were directly harmed by the freeze.

This is what people power looks like: Sierra Club members standing up to protect clean transportation investment, cleaner air, and better access to affordable electric vehicle driving for everyone.

October 23, 2026

WASHINGTON — The national electric vehicle (EV) charging network is making tangible progress: Texas recently awarded $226 million for 321 new charging stations funded through  the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program; Arizona just opened its first three federally funded  fast-charging stations, with dozens more planned statewide; Colorado awarded over $23 million in federal and state-funded grants to add 270 fast-charging stations across the state; and EV charging at commercial sites in Hawaii more than doubled in the first half of 2026, with…

October 9, 2026

WASHINGTON — Today, members of the Alliance for Electric School Buses (AESB) applaud Representatives Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Buddy Carter (GA-1), and Greg Landsman (OH-01) for introducing a bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives to reauthorize the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program for another five years.

October 2, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A coalition of environmental and consumer protection organizations filed a lawsuit today challenging the Trump administration’s final rule rolling back federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, a move that will make new vehicles less fuel efficient, increase gasoline consumption, and drive up costs for American drivers already facing high gas prices.

September 26, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that the Trump administration has finalized a rule rolling back federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, making vehicles less fuel efficient and forcing Americans to spend more on gasoline.

September 24, 2026

Los Angeles - Today, LA Metro approved the purchase of 220 battery-electric buses, one of the largest electric transit bus purchases in the country and a major step towards Metro accelerating implementation of its zero-emission bus commitment to 100% electric buses. These new buses will increase the share of Metro’s all-electric fleet from less than 7% today to 17%.

September 22, 2026

NATIONWIDE - The U.S. is about to see a major expansion of electric heavy trucks on the roads with the announcement of the first tranche of 2,500 trucks as part of a 10,000 vehicle order – the largest in the U.S. to date, nearly doubling the U.S. electric truck fleet.

September 15, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congress is considering a slate of Congressional Review Act resolutions that would roll back state clean air protections, including standards that cut toxic diesel pollution from ships and commercial harbor craft that will be voted on in the House this week. 

September 3, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, a federal judge granted California a preliminary injunction blocking EPA’s actions targeting four Clean Air Act preemption waivers previously granted to California.

August 31, 2026

Environmental and health groups are urging the Trump EPA not to weaken life-saving air pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicles like transit and school buses, delivery trucks, garbage trucks and long-haul semi-trucks.

August 28, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Trump administration finalized a rule setting up a weakening Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for heavy-duty commercial vehicles.