Chicago Auto Show Focuses on Electric Vehicles | Chicago News

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The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro (Photo credit: Ford Motor Company)

At this year’s Chicago Auto Show, one of the most successful cars was an electric vehicle: Ford’s F-150 Lightning.

This truck and other electric cars that were on display at the show have electric vehicle advocates hoping that the move away from gasoline will become more common.

In Illinois, gasoline-powered vehicles produce 11,435 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year, according to the US Department of Energy, while electric vehicles produce 2,389 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. of carbon.

Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, said electrifying the transportation sector is key to reducing carbon emissions – and focusing on public transportation can have an impact faster, as local governments can buy a fleet of buses, for example, where individuals usually buy a single vehicle.

“In terms of policy, it will be much easier to convert by public transit,” Walling said. “I would focus on public transport, the buses that take very heavy routes and pollute the air a lot.”

Sam Ori, executive director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, said the availability of electric cars can depend on individual state policy. Several states have a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) program that requires automakers to offer a number of “clean cars” for sale, including battery electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles. rechargeable. Illinois is not one of the states with a ZEV program.

“If you shop in a state that isn’t part of these mandates, you’ll see a lot less choice,” Ori said.

Note: This story will be updated with a video.


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