Prioritising air quality: the potential impact of EV adoption on health

In 2019, road transport accounted for 27% of the UK’s air pollution, with cars and taxis being the biggest contributors, making up 61% of total road transport emissions. As more councils publish their net zero targets, promoting the adoption of electric vehicles and rolling out the infrastructure needed to support this is likely to be a key part of any transport decarbonisation strategy. While the transition to electric is an important step in reducing our collective carbon impact and therefore in tackling the climate crisis, the health effects of air quality improvements are another major benefit of this mass change in consumer behaviour.

According to Public Health England, long-term exposure to man-made air pollution has the equivalent annual effect of 28,000 to 36,000 deaths in the UK. In the air we breathe, some of the most damaging particles are Minuscule particles known as PM₁₀ and PM_2.5. PM_2.5 generally results from the combustion of solid and liquid fuels, through power generation, domestic heating and in-vehicle engines.  

The exhaust emissions produced by internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles impact the human respiratory system greatly and are linked with illnesses such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, which cause hundreds of thousands of early deaths every year worldwide. In cities, this problem is even more prevalent, as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases were found to occur at higher rates in cities with higher concentrations of airborne particles, according to a UK study by the Air Quality Expert Group on Fine Particulate Matter (PM_2.5).

Although the transition to electric vehicles will not eliminate non-exhaust emissions from tyre shed, brake particles, and road abrasion, this shift could greatly reduce the overall emission of air pollutants. In Norway, where about 80% of new cars sold are fully electric, and another 10% are hybrid, PM_2.5 emissions decreased by nearly three quarters from 2000 to 2020, demonstrating the potential of eliminating tailpipe emissions.

The consequential health impacts of PM_2.5 reduction would therefore be significant. A modelling framework developed by the UK Health Forum and Imperial College London suggested a 1 µg/m3 (1 microgram per cubic metre of air) reduction in fine particulate air pollution in England over 18 years could prevent 50,900 cases of coronary heart disease, 16,500 strokes, 9,300 cases of asthma, and 4,200 lung cancers in England.

While the UK aims to reduce the legal limit of PM_2.5 from 20 μg/m3 to 10 μg/m3 by 2040, significant action will be needed to make this possible, including the reduction of tailpipe emissions. In urban areas, as well as rolling out EV charging infrastructure and promoting EV adoption, reducing car usage, promoting public transport, cycling, and walking will all be essential. Local authorities and councils will all play a key role in improving air quality and therefore improving the health of their people through transport decarbonisation strategies.