How those electric vehicles can advance social justice

Lyft’s announcement last week that it will transition to 100% electric vehicles (EV) on its platform by 2030 is the sort of big, bold climate news we desperately need. California has already set the environmentally needed target of getting to zero emissions by 2045 (SB100). It will take major advances like this announcement by Lyft to get there. The challenge today, with both COVID19 ravishing our economy and the racist power structures that are under the microscope, is to make this transition a big bold step for social justice as well.

First, even in the most coalintensive states, EVs outperform gaspowered cars in terms of both equivalent miles per gallon, and in terms of operating costs. EV costs per mile are to 1/5 that of petroleum cars. In California — where over half of our emissions are from transportation — an EV powered from the grid gets more than 120 miles per gallon equivalent, and if those EVs are charged at the 1 million homes and businesses with rooftop solar, that number can soar to well over 200 miles per gallon equivalent. As we build more solar and wind, the flexible charging EVs provide increases the value of that clean energy. With New York, Washington, Maryland, New Mexico and others following California’s lead on 100% clean energy, the climate and local health benefits of an EV transition are huge.

Battery costs are falling rapidly too, and will fall more rapidly as EV demand increases, driven by announcements like Lyft’s. Like solar and wind, this will make electric driving cheaper and cheaper. Recycling of batteries is on the rise, and more demand means more research, and more diversity in battery types — all good news for the life cycle impact of batteries. Many of the rareearth materials in our electronics — TVs, computers, phones and EVs — have significant environmental and human rights challenges, but aggressive adoption of sustainable supply chain practices, as Google has done, can and must be expanded, and made mandatory.

What Lyft has done is a climate win, plain and simple. The real victory is to ensure it becomes a means of social equality. PreCOVID19, Lyft had 30 million riders and 2 million drivers across the U.S. and Canada. As with much of the gig economy, lowwage and insecure employment, and minimal or entirely absent health care are huge challenges. The California Public Utilities Commission is addressing this issue by considering drivers for ridehailing companies to be employees in accordance with the state’s AB5 law, which went into effect Jan. 1.

To leverage Lyft’s leadership for social good will require publicprivate partnerships. “As we move to repair the COVIDbattered global economy, we have a chance to rebuild better and create a cleaner, more prosperous and more equitable future. Getting there will require investing in clean energy to create jobs and reduce pollution, and radically shifting how we move people and products,” said Fred Krupp, president, Environmental Defense Fund. “Lyft’s commitment accelerates momentum toward this future and sets the standard for other tech and transportation leaders to follow suit.”

The means to do this are right in front of us.

First, California can help itself and help the nation by seeing EVbased ridehailing as part of a holistic set of solutions that make diverse forms of mobility (including bikes, scooters and, most importantly, mass transit as well as EVs) its top priority for accessible, safe and affordable public transport for everyone. California’s SB375 can be a mechanism to reduce overall miles traveled, and to do so with social and racial justice at the forefront. Another look at SB50 — that has sadly failed twice in the Legislature — to build infill and, critically, rentcontrolled housing near transit hubs — as I advocated for last year, is a needed step. Housing policy is climate policy, and if it is not accessible to everyone, we are failing the first lesson of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Second, a more aggressive target year than 2030 is possible. The government of India is ordering ridehailing firms such as Uber and the local competitor Ola (Lyft does not operate in India), which operate hundreds of thousands of cars, to convert 40% of their fleets to electric by 2026.

The Indian plan is smart, as it calls for companies to achieve 2.5% electrification by 2021, 5% by 2022, 10% by 2023, before hiking it to 40%. This rampup sets clear goals, and permits a scaleup of charging stations and options as the demand grows. Shenzhen, China, went from under 100 to over 25,000 EV taxis in just over a year.

Charging stations are increasingly inexpensive — as low as $300 per station. The public policy challenge is to get them in places where they are safe and accessible for those who don’t own their home. The air quality benefits — that impact minorities and lowincome citizens most severely — are huge, something we are learning as the COVIDpollution linkage becomes ever more clear and deadly.

The real opportunity to integrate climate and racial justice solutions lies in Lyft’s Express Drive program, where drivers get discounted weekly car rentals with unlimited miles while driving for Lyft, and personal mile plans that start at 200 miles for $129 per week. That is a fine plan for a start, but Lyft and the state of California can do better. The state could bulk purchase EVs as they green their own fleet, and make EV rentals even less expensive for lowincome drivers. Requiring businesses to meet EV targets will help, too. Charging can be done in creative ways, with required spots at schools, businesses and even onroad charging as is being tested in South Korea and Europe, so you can charge while you drive using FasTrak in California and EZPass in many other parts of the country.

The multiplier effect if California and Lyft move aggressively ahead here can be tremendous. Currently, 10 states are following California and implementing the ZEV regulations, including the chance to up the requirements that about 7% to 10% of new vehicles must be ZEVs in 2025. These states include Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The climate and health win of allelectric driving is exciting, but like the New Deal, the social and racial equity opportunities are real, and will take coordinated public and private sector leadership. That is what I am banking on and why I am so pleased with Lyft’s actions.

California can help itself and help the nation by seeing EVbased ridehailing as part of a holistic set of solutions on transportation

Daniel Kammen is a professor at UC Berkeley, with appointments in the Energ y and Resources Group (where he serves as chair), in the Goldman School of Public Policy, and in the Department of Nuclear Engineering. Former President Barack Obama appointed him Science Envoy in the U.S. State Department in 2016. Twitter: @dan_kammen

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