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.

February 27, 2023

ROCHESTER, NY - Today, the Department of Energy announced it will lend $375 million to the battery recycling company Li-Cycle to build a lithium battery resource recovery facility in Rochester, ensuring the recycling of lithium batteries for electric vehicles (EVs). 

February 16, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over 80 environmental, public health and justice groups have submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency, challenging their proposed expansion to its Renewable Fuel Standard program. The expansion allows electric vehicle energy produced from toxic sources, such as landfill gas and factory farms, to receive valuable tax credits.

February 15, 2023

New Brunswick — Today, Governor Phil Murphy announced that he has directed the state Department of Environmental Protection to propose adoption of the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) program by the end of 2023. ACC II would set the state on a path to lower vehicle emissions and a healthy transition to electric vehicles and cleaner air, by setting gradually increasing sales targets so that every new light-duty vehicle sold in New Jersey will be a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) by 2035. 

15 de febrero de 2023

La Casa Blanca anunció hoy una serie de decisiones centradas en establecer una robusta red nacional de recarga para vehículos eléctricos.

February 15, 2023

Today, the White House announced a series of actions focused on establishing a robust nationwide electric vehicle charging network. The actions include new and upcoming awards, funding opportunities, as well as public and private investments in EV charging.

February 6, 2023

Boston, MA - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu celebrated the arrival of the first two electric school buses to the Boston Public Schools (BPS) fleet, with 18 more to come over the next several weeks, which will serve an estimated 2,561 students across 42 schools.

February 3, 2023

NATIONAL - Tomorrow, in honor of Rosa Parks’ birthday, labor unions, racial justice groups, environmental organizations, transit groups, and disability advocates are joining together to elevate public transit as a civil right and essential to decarbonizing the US transportation system.

February 2, 2023

For the sixth year in a row, in honor of Rosa Parks’ birthday, the Transit Equity Network has joined together transit riders, community organizations, civil rights groups, environmental and climate justice groups and transit worker unions to organize around Transit Equity Day. The Network observes February 4 as Transit Equity Day annually to honor Rosa Parks and other civil rights leaders and advocate for transit as a civil right and a climate change solution.

February 1, 2023

NATIONWIDE - Today, the US Department of Transportation announced $800 million in grants to fund 510 projects in communities across the country to make both urban and rural neighborhoods safer for people to walk and bike. This funding comes out of the Bipartisan Infrastructure law passed last year, and represents the first round of funding for the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. 

February 1, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, more than two dozen environment, health, and consumer advocacy organizations sent a letter to Truck and Engine Manufacturer Association (EMA) member companies asking them to leave the EMA, which is well-known for working to stall and weaken clean air safeguards across the country.