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JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – It’s no secret that traffic is the largest source of gas emissions in the United States, accounting for nearly a third (29%) of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. However, switching to electric vehicles could help Americans cut that number significantly.
By reducing the number of gasoline-powered cars on the road, we can reduce the amount of harmful exhaust by-products in our air, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Cleaner air, in turn, can have health benefits.
Annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per vehicle in Florida are over 11,000 pounds. For an electric vehicle, that number drops to less than £ 5,000 per vehicle per year.
According to the US Department of Energy, 58,160 electric vehicles were registered in the Sunshine State last December.
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On average, fueling an electric vehicle costs only about half a gallon of gasoline for a conventional vehicle. There’s an even bigger gap in Florida – federal statistics show that a gallon of gasoline costs an average of $ 2.83, while an electric vehicle costs about $ 1.08.
The switch to electric vehicles also creates new jobs in manufacturing, installing chargers and upgrading electrical systems. According to Clean Jobs America, U.S. electric vehicle manufacturing employment rose 6% in 2020 despite the pandemic.
While electric vehicles emit fewer pollutants, the greatest health benefits are seen in metropolitan states like California, Florida, and New York.
Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.
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