The Urgency for Clean Transportation
Transportation is the #1 polluter
Light-duty cars and trucks are the biggest slice, followed by medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
Solutions exist now
Electric cars and buses, e-trucks for short-haul and drayage, modern transit, bike/ped infrastructure, and smarter logistics.
Clean air, lower costs, new jobs
Federal and state programs—paired with local leadership—deliver cleaner air, lower fuel/maintenance costs, and high-quality American manufacturing jobs.
The Hidden Toll of Vehicle Emissions
The transportation sector is the largest source of harmful emissions in the United States. Cars and light-duty vehicles alone produce more than 20% of all U.S. greenhouse gases and consume 45% of the nation’s oil. Vehicle pollution doesn’t just impact the environment — it worsens air quality and contributes to health conditions that hit low-income neighborhoods and communities of color the hardest.
Research led by Harvard University, in collaboration with English universities, found that worldwide one in five premature deaths is linked to fossil fuel air pollution. In the United States alone, more than 350,000 people died prematurely in 2018 due to exposure — nearly three times higher than earlier studies suggested.
Transportation is responsible for nearly one-third of U.S. emissions. Within this, light-duty vehicles (LDVs) account for 59% of the sector’s total.
To protect public health, reduce dependence on imported oil, and build a more resilient economy, we need to accelerate the shift to cleaner forms of transportation. The sooner we act, the more lives, resources, and dollars we save.
Hitting the Road for Energy Security
In 2024, E.O.P.A. hit the highway on a 1,200-mile EV road trip from Albany, New York, all the way to Atlanta, Georgia — with powerful stops in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The goal? To spark awareness and support for real energy security solutions, especially the shift to electric vehicles.
At every stop, we hosted press conferences, gave elected officials the chance to get behind the wheel of an EV, and handed out easy-to-read pamphlets debunking the myths around electric vehicles. The United for Health and Energy Security EV Tour showed the public that transportation is the largest source of U.S. emissions — and that switching to EVs means cleaner air, fewer cases of asthma and emphysema, lower cancer risks, and a stronger, more secure energy future.
The tour didn’t just make headlines — it made history. E.O.P.A. brought home two national awards:
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Plug In America Award -
Electric Vehicle National Association Award
Along the way, we highlighted why updating EPA vehicle standards is crucial and why offshore wind power will be the backbone of charging a future where everyone can drive electric.
And we’re not stopping there — next up: the EV Tour of the Western States. Stay tuned.