Switch to electric vehicles could save billions of dollars and hundreds of lives in Nevada, says report

A widespread transition to electric vehicles could save nearly 700 lives and $7.5 billion in public health spending in Nevada between 2020 and 2050, according to a new report by the American Lung Association.

The ALA report attempts to calculate the benefits of a national shift to 100% sale of zero-emission passenger cars and light-duty trucks by 2035 and 100% sale of zero-emission medium- and heavy duty trucks by 2040.

Nationally, that move to electric vehicles would generate $1.2 trillion in health benefits and $1.7 trillion in additional climate benefits over three decades, including avoiding 110,000 premature deaths, 3 million asthma attacks and more than 13 million workdays lost.

The report notes Nevada is one of 15 states that has embraced the stronger-than-national standards set by California regarding zero emission cars and light-duty trucks. But Nevada has not adopted similar zero emission standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Only five other states — Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington — have, according to the ALA report.

A 2021 “State of the Air” report placed both the Las Vegas and Reno metropolitan areas on the top 25 cities most polluted by short-term particles.