HB2613 Funds rebates for Electric Vehicles

Alan R.P. Journet Ph.D.
Cofacilitator
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now
alan@socan.eco
541-500-2331
April 4^th  2023

Reference HB2613

Co-Chairs Gorsek and McLain and members of the Joint Committee on Transportation:

I write as cofacilitator of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN), an organization of over 2,000 rural Southern Oregonians who are concerned about the climate crisis and urge statewide action to address it. The mission of SOCAN is to promote awareness and understanding of the science of global warming and its climate chaos consequences and stimulate individual and collective action to address it. Since rural Oregonians occupy the frontlines in experiencing the impact of the drought, shrinking snowpack, wildfires and extreme weather that the climate crisis imposes, we are strongly committed to statewide action.

We understand that nationally, at 27%, emissions from transportation represent the largest sector of emissions (EPA 2022). In addition, among the climate pollution sectors assessed by the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ 2022), transportation contributes the greatest to our state emissions total.  We are also aware that, on an individual or household basis, transportation is one of our largest contributors (Jones & Kammen 2013, Taiebat & Xu 2019).

These realities explain why efforts to address the climate crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions most often place a high priority on reducing transportation emissions. Knowing what individual actions represent the leading contributors to the problem guides effort on the part of governmental entities in deciding what behaviors or action to encourage by tax credits/rebates or other rebate incentives. Despite the campaign of disinformation waged by fossil fuel companies to undermine the credibility of the electric auto as a smart climate alternative to the internal combustion engine, full life cycle assessment of the comparison between a gasoline (32 mg) and electric vehicle (with a 300 miles range) reveals the latter has a 52% reduction in lifecycle emissions (Reichmuth et al. 2022). Thus, Oregon had established a rebate incentive program to encourage Oregonians to make their next new automobile purchase a Hybrid or Electric vehicle.

While encouraging Oregonians to contribute to achieving statewide climate pollution reduction goals is laudable, it is critically important to acknowledge also that the ability of low-income Oregonians to purchase an EV are severely compromised by the cost. One purpose of offering a substantial rebate is to address the inequity that confronts low-income Oregonians by providing as substantial a rebate as possible.

For these reasons, SOCAN strongly supports the proposal in HB2613 the invest further in the EV rebate fund.  There are probably few routes that could contribute more to achieving the state’s climate pollution reduction goals than replacing gasoline or diesel vehicles with electric vehicles.

Respectfully Submitted

Alan Journet

Sources Cited:

DEQ 2022. Oregon Sector-based Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/Pages/GHG-Inventory.aspx

EPA 2022. Fast Facts on Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emissions. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/fast-facts-transportation-greenhouse-gas-emissions

Jones C, Kammen D 2013. Spatial Distribution of U.S. Household Carbon Footprints Reveals Suburbanization Undermines Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Urban Population Density.  Environ. Sci. Technol. 2014, 48, 2, 895–902. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es4034364

Reichmuth D, Dunn J, Anair D 2022. Driving Cleaner Electric Cars and Pickups Beat[s] Gasoline on Lifetime Global Warming Emissions. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/driving-cleaner-report.pdf

Taiebat M and Xu Ming 2019 5 charts show how your household drives up global greenhouse gas emissions.  The Conversation https://theconversation.com/5-charts-show-how-your-household-drives-up-global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-119968