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 28, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This evening, it was reported that automakers General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota, Mazda and Mitsubishi are moving to intervene in support of the Trump administration in the legal battle over California’s long-standing authority to set more stringent emission standards for new motor vehicles, as well as to require automakers to manufacture increasing numbers of electric vehicles.

October 25, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C Circuit confirmed that EPA cannot ignore the record of facts supporting the conclusion that the clean car standards are achievable. In January 2017, the Obama administration went through a robust mid-term evaluation for the clean car standards that confirmed that they are achievable.

October 2, 2019

Nationwide -- This year’s National Drive Electric Week (NDEW), a coast-to-coast celebration of electric vehicles (EVs), hosted 324 events in all 50 U.S. states and eight countries, at the same time as states announced major progress on electrifying transportation. According to estimates from our local event organizers, there were upwards of 170,000 people who attended the 2019 NDEW events.

October 1, 2019

NORTHEAST & MID-ATLANTIC – Today, the 12 states and D.C. participating in the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) released a draft regional policy proposal to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from transportation.

September 27, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Sierra Club and Earthjustice, along with a coalition of other environmental groups, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its attack on California, stripping the state’s authority to set more stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) vehicle standards than the federal standards, and rescinding California’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

September 25, 2019

MINNESOTA – Today, Governor Tim Walz announced that Minnesota will join the growing list of states adopting the clean car standards, which require new cars sold in the state to emit fewer greenhouse gases. They also mandate an increasing percentage of new cars sold in the state to be zero emission-vehicles.

September 24, 2019

NEW YORK – Today, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico will join 14 other states in adopting clean car standards requiring new cars sold in the state to emit fewer greenhouse gases. They also mandate an increasing percentage of cars sold in the state to be zero emissions. The governor made the announcement at Climate Week in New York City, joining other U.S.

September 24, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday evening, McClatchy reported that EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler sent a letter to California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nicols threatening sanctions against California, including cuts in federal highway funding.

September 18, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Donald Trump tweeted out that his Administration is revoking the Clean Air Act waiver that allows California to adopt and enforce stronger greenhouse gas emissions standards on new cars and light trucks than the federal government’s. It also allows the state to require auto manufacturers to sell increasing numbers of electric vehicles in the state.

September 16, 2019

NATIONWIDE -- Today, the Sierra Club and Plug In America released an updated version of AchiEVe: Model Policies to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Adoption, a toolkit designed to accelerate the switch to clean, electric vehicles in an effective, sustainable, and equitable way by providing public officials and advocates with model EV policies at the state, local, transit, and utility levels.