Filed under: EV/Plug-in, USA



It's a solution that would please just about everyone, save Exxon. Find every American household that could theoretically get by with a plug-in vehicle, and make them buy 'em. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Consumers Union says about 45 million households - about 42 percent of all the households in the US - could drive plug-in vehicles with "little or no change" in their driving habits. And more than half of those could go on just as they are today if they drove battery-electric vehicles. The key reason (which shouldn't be a surprise) is that almost 70 percent of US drivers drive less than 60 miles per weekday, according to the UCS.

What would that mean if all of those folks got green and switched over? Try about 15 billion gallons of gasoline saved annually, which is more than what's consumed by California's drivers. That also means 89 million fewer metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year, which is equivalent to emissions from 14 million conventional cars annually. Refueling savings? Try $33 billion worth.

Of course, we're still in the "drop in the bucket" phase. Through November, Americans bought about 69,000 plug-ins, plus another approximately 19,000 Tesla Model S EVs (Tesla doesn't keep monthly totals). It shouldn't be too hard to talk folks into buying more Teslas, should it. Check out the UCS's press release below.Continue reading 40% of American households could easily drive EVs

40% of American households could easily drive EVs originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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