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.

September 11, 2019

ALBANY, NEW YORK -- Today, the Sierra Club released a report calling for Governor Cuomo to set a state-wide target to reduce on-road transportation emissions 55% by 2035, in order to meet New York’s long-term climate goals.

September 6, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the EPA must comply with the Endangered Species Act by evaluating harm to endangered and threatened species when setting corn ethanol volumes in the national gasoline supply.

September 4, 2019

Nationwide -- The ninth annual National Drive Electric Week (NDEW), a coast-to-coast celebration of electric vehicles (EVs), will be held this month September 14-22 as public interest in EVs grows across geography and income level. Over 60 percent of prospective car buyers in the U.S.

August 29, 2019

Herndon, VA -- Today Dominion Energy and Governor Northam announced a program that aims to replace 13,000 diesel school buses in Virginia with clean, electric buses. This includes 1,050 buses by 2025. Virginia has 133 school districts, which serve over 1.2 million students and 17,000 school buses in its total fleet.

August 21, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Donald Trump took to Twitter to lie in defense of his dangerous clean cars rollback. 

August 16, 2019

DENVER, CO -- Today, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) voted 8-1 to adopt a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program, what could become a critical step in reducing transportation emissions from gas-guzzling vehicles, tackling the climate crisis, and protecting public health.

August 12, 2019

In a lawsuit filed today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council are challenging a final rule issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last month that lowers the penalties for automakers failing to meet the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.

August 1, 2019

Boston, MA -- Yesterday, the Sierra Club, MassPIRG and Green Energy Consumers Alliance released the following statement after the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) unveiled the first of five electric buses on the Silver Line. The announcement comes as MBTA is working on an electric bus feasibility report to identify garages and bus routes most suited for electric bus deployment.

July 25, 2019

BOSTON, MA -- Today, the Sierra Club, Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Green Energy Consumers Alliance and Acadia Center released the following statement after the Massachusetts House passed the GreenWorks bill (H. 3987) on July 24 with an amendment to strengthen the MOR-EV program, a popular rebate program for drivers who purchase or lease electric vehicles.

July 25, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, it was reported that California and four major automakers - Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, and Honda - entered into an agreement that commits manufacturers to increased fuel efficiency for their vehicles sold nationwide in the face of the Trump administration’s reckless clean car standards rollback.