Cities rev up transition to EVs with car sharing programs. //Image courtesy or Andrew Spear for NRDC.
It’s no secret that transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in the United States. So it’s not surprising that, besides promoting the use of public transit, biking and walking, cities are also embracing electric vehicles (EVs) in their quest to cut carbon emissions. But some are thinking outside of the box: In addition to electrifying municipal fleets, many cities participating in the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge are also engaging with community and industry partners to support electrified options that don’t require owning your own EV, such as car sharing which has been demonstrated to reduce car ownership amongst users. This reflects both a desire from cities to more aggressively reduce carbon pollution and a desire from residents for more varied, affordable and sustainable transportation options. Additionally, several of these ci