Electric Vehicle Adoption in California: Predictors, Impacts on Local Air Quality and Respiratory Health, and Inequities - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Electrification of the transportation sector in the United States, crucial for climate change mitigation, is
projected to have considerable co-benefits for public health through reductions in tailpipe-related emission.
Numerous studies have estimated impacts on air quality and a few on health outcomes under various
hypothetical scenarios—but no study to date has evaluated the broad real-world impacts of current rapidly
increasing electric vehicle (EV) adoption levels. Further, there a serious concern is that EV adoption is not
equitably distributed across the population. We propose to study inequities in EV adoption and in the observed
local air quality and respiratory health co-benefits of EV adoption, using a sequential qualitative quantitative
qualitative mixed methods design which melds community-engaged research with traditional
epidemiological data analyses of large statewide databases in CA. We will first conduct focus group
discussions with community members of the Southeast Los Angeles region, in collaboration with our
community partner, to better understand perceived barriers and possible opportunities for promoting adoption
of EVs in underserved communities (Aim 1a). Data from these focus group discussions will be used to refine
our preliminary conceptual framework for EV adoption and identify additional hypotheses for testing in
subsequent quantitative aims. Next, key predictive factors of neighborhood-level EV adoption in CA will be
characterized using real-world data on EV registration (Aim 1b). Then, we will evaluate the effect of observed
local EV adoption on measured tailpipe-related air pollutant concentrations (fine particulate matter [PM2.5] and
nitrogen dioxide [NO2]) and assess potential effect measure modification by neighborhood/contextual factors
(Aim 2). Finally, we will examination associations of EV adoption with local ED visits and hospitalization for
pediatric and adult asthma and COPD, again assessing for potential effect measure modification by
neighborhood/ contextual factors (Aim 3). Sustained bidirectional community engagement is built in across the
entire study period. In addition to focus group discussions, the community engagement plan includes annual
community dialogues and Advisory Council meetings and a final community report back meeting. Our multi-
pronged approach for community engagement is expected to enhance the relevance, validity, and impact of
research findings. Study findings will provide policymakers with valuable real-world evidence on air quality and
health co-benefits of the EV transition and empower communities with documented inequities in the transition,
facilitating future research to mitigate these effects and reduce future environment and health disparities.
