Public Transit Vs Electric Cars

This article was written by Anh Vo.

When it comes to reducing our transportation emissions, the debate that often pops up centers on electric cars. But a closer look into these newer forms of transportation reveals that a solution that has been around for decades may still be superior. High-quality public transit may offer equal or even greater climate benefits depending on the situation and context. 

Research by the International Council on Clean Transportation found that battery electric cars today can produce about 73% less life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline vehicles in Europe. This includes all the manufacturing, battery production, electricity generation, and road use. That suggests EVs can be a powerful part of the solution when electricity is clean and systems are efficient.

Yet other studies argue that EVs are not as perfect as we think they are. An article in Chicago Policy Review states that while electric cars do help, the real climate solution lies in improving mass transit systems like buses and the light rail. One reason: even an efficient EV vehicle still uses energy per passenger. But a bus or a train can move dozens of people with less per-person energy and resource cost. For example, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority reports U.S. public transit saves 37 million metric tons of CO2 annually. This is roughly the equivalent of electricity used by 4.9 million households! 

We must also consider manufacturing and resource extraction impacts. UV batteries require the mining of metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel. These activities all have social and environmental costs. Even the best EV vehicles depend heavily on how the electricity they use is generated. Meanwhile, public transit can often leverage existing infrastructure, economies of scale, and shift behaviour away from car dependence. 

This debate matters for people of all ages. Should a city invest in expanding bus lines, safe cycling routes, or rely on individuals to start pushing for EV ownership? Often, the smartest climate path is multimodal. It's about encouraging walking, biking, public transit, car sharing, and supporting EVs in the right conditions. In the end, it's not really about choosing a single best mode, but about designing a system that reduces total emissions. 

https://theicct.org/pr-electric-cars-getting-cleaner-faster/ 

https://chicagopolicyreview.org/2023/04/04/electric-vehicles-are-not-the-solution-sustainable-transit-is/
https://www.kcata.org/about_kcata/entries/environmental_benefits_of_public_transit