California’s electric car boom reduces emissions – but not everywhere

Despite the decline in CO2 and other types of air pollution, the increase in the number of electric vehicles in California appears to have increased air pollution of fine particulate matter from power plants. The analysis found that disadvantaged communities least likely to own an electric vehicle were most likely to have increased pollutants in their neighborhoods.

“[Electric vehicles] It’s as clean as the electrical grid underneath,” says Jaye Mejía-Duwan of the University of California, Berkeley. By adding to the demand…