Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S., and makes up about a quarter of all energy-related GHG emissions in the world. Thus, we have ambitious goals when it comes to transportation, such as California’s commitment to transition fully to electric vehicle sales by 2035. The U.S. bought over 1 million EVs through the end of 2023, which made almost 8% of all vehicles sold in the U.S. and 20% of auto sales in California. Globally, 9.5 million EVs were sold in 2023, a 31% increase from the prior year. But is this progress fast enough? 

In today’s episode, we talk with Dr. Beia Spiller—Transportation Program Director at Resources for the Future (RFF), a nonprofit that conducts economic and policy research on topics including energy and transportation—about the current state and the future of electric transportation, the related equity and environmental justice challenges we face, and how we can rethink mobility. We then chat with Chris Merola, a film student at USC, and Beth Prakash, a new EV owner in the Bay Area (who is also a presentation designer, check out her website here!), to hear about their experiences driving an EV. You don’t want to miss these conversations! 

02:36 Interview with Dr. Spiller
33:35 Interview with Chris Merola
46:43 Interview with Beth Prakash
1:00:06 Concluding Remarks

If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our podcast so you can automatically get access to our new episodes – you can find us on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. And we would appreciate it so much if you could leave a rating and review. Special thanks to our guests for today and Abhi, our technical guru, for their important contributions to today’s episode. This podcast is sponsored by the USC Ershaghi Center for Energy Transition.  
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during the Energy Transition Talk series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of the Ershaghi Center for Energy Transition (E-CET) or the producers of this podcast. 
Referenced in this episode and additional resources:
 

NY Times: Guide to electric vehicle tax credits 

NY Times, Feb. 17, 2024: The Biden Administration intends to relax limits on tailpipe emissions designed to fuel the switch to electric vehicles 
Career Opportunities at Resources for the Future (RFF) 

Green Business Impact Podcast with Beia Spiller: Electrifying Fleets: Challenges, Opportunities, and Why Transformation MUST Happen, June 8, 2023 

Beia Spiller and Suzanne Russo, A Tale of Two Highway Plans: a planned renovation of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in New York City raises the opportunity to consider community input and environmental justice. 

RFF Radio: Sensing Air Pollution Exposure in New York City Schools, with Beia Spiller, July 12, 2022

RFF Report: Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Electrification: Challenges, Policy Solutions, and Open Research Questions, May 3, 2023 

RFF Report: Policy Challenges for Accessing Critical Minerals to Electrify Vehicle Transport 

LA Times, California EV sales are falling. Is it just temporary, or a threat to state climate goals?, Feb. 15, 2024  

Reuters, Global electric car sales rose 31% in 2023, Jan. 10, 2024

Cox Automotive, A Record 1.2 Million EVs Were Sold in the U.S. in 2023, Jan. 9, 2024

White House Blog, Full Charge: The Economics of Building a National EV Charging Network, Dec. 11, 2023  

McKinsey, The real global EV buzz comes on two wheels, August 17, 2023 

EPA, Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

UNEP, Transport
Elizabeth Prakash Official Website - http://elizabethprakashdesignstudio.com