EV’s ‘prevented’ 260,000 premature deaths in China
China’s rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has led to a massive decrease in air pollution, preventing around 260,000 premature deaths so far.
That’s according to a new study published in the journal Nature. It finds that carbon monoxide levels are down, on average, by more than 30% in Chinese cities thanks to the rapid rollout of EVs. Levels of fine particulate matter, it added, have fallen by around 32%.
Both pollutants are linked to a range of deadly health conditions, including lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. The dramatic reduction in pollution prevented approximately 262,000 premature deaths and 75,000 all-cause deaths, the study estimated.
China is the world’s leading producer of electric vehicles. Around half of all cars sold in the country last year were electric. It also accounts for around one in four pollution-related deaths globally, but not, perhaps, for long.
The results of the study chime with similar research from California, US, where a study linked the rollout of EVs with significant improvements in air quality.
Image: Denys Nevozhai
