It turns out you don't need to switch to an electric car to immediately lower the planet-warming pollution you produce while driving.
An AI-assisted model from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has outlined how simple changes in the way you drive can have a significant impact on reducing driving-related pollution.
Driving behavior was analyzed at over 6,000 intersections in three major United States cities, as New Scientist detailed.
🗣️ When you think about owning an EV, what concerns you most about public charging stations?
🔘 Chargers not working 🚫
🔘 Chargers not being available 😥
🔘 Charging being too expensive 💰
🔘 Charging taking too long ⌚
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
The cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco in California and Atlanta, Georgia, were picked to represent diverse geographies and various factors that influence the way people drive. Around 1 million different scenarios were played out, with traffic and environmental conditions — such as weather and road layout — taken into account.
The study found that gliding toward intersections, rather than stopping abruptly, and reducing idling time at intersections can reduce air pollution by as much as 22%.
"That means we don't necessarily need to wait long for the eco-driving adoption to get really high to get the benefits," MIT's Vindula Jayawardana told New Scientist.
In fact, adopting these practices in an electric vehicle could also lower pollution. Even though EVs produce zero tailpipe pollution while on the road, the electricity used to recharge their batteries is still likely sourced from dirty fuel. Eco-driving, then, can reduce the amount of battery life you drain, meaning you won't have to recharge quite as often.
"Even if the adoption of [electric vehicles] is 100%, we can still benefit from eco-driving as long as the electric grid is not clean," Jayawardana added.
The researchers suggested that cities could implement traffic signal devices at intersections to allow vehicles to slow down gradually rather than coming to a sudden stop. Remarkably, around 70% of pollution reductions came at just 20% of intersections, so it wouldn't require a huge change in roadside infrastructure.
However, ditching a gas-guzzler for an electric vehicle can make a more profound difference. In addition to reducing planet-warming pollution, EVs don't negatively impact air quality because they don't release toxins or particulate matter on journeys.
While some will point to the mining activity needed to source metals for EV batteries as being damaging to the planet, drilling for fossil fuels and then burning them in internal combustion engines is far worse for the environment.
Even if you're not quite ready to swap your ICE car for an EV, the MIT study observes that you can still keep our planet cooler by subtly altering your driving habits — and this could save you money on fuel, too.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
