Research: The Role of Electric Vehicles in Sustaining the Negative Effects of Car Culture

According to a recent analysis, switching to Electric vehicles worldwide may not fully address the problems caused by auto-centric infrastructure. Eric Roston, writing for Bloomberg CityLab, highlights how researchers examined hundreds of papers to understand the negative impacts of excessive investment in infrastructure that prioritizes cars on public health and climate change. The study reveals a global history of “car harm,” including deaths, injuries, illnesses, and other negative consequences.

While Electric cars offer benefits like reduced carbon emissions, they do not fundamentally change the urban development patterns or the amount of space dedicated to cars. As the authors of the review point out, simply swapping traditional engines for batteries does not address issues like the over-paving of cities to accommodate cars or the dangers posed by vehicles on roads. Additionally, electric cars, often heavier than gas-powered vehicles, can lead to increased pollution from tire wear on highways.