POLICYMAKERS:
PROTECT OUR FREEDOM TO DRIVE ELECTRIC
FREEDOM TO SAVE
EVs cost less to fuel and maintain, helping American families struggling with the cost of living by saving thousands of dollars over their vehicles’ lifetime.
37 EV models are available for less than the average new vehicle purchase, and EVs save drivers up to $24,100 compared to gasoline vehicles over 10 years of ownership. [Source]
FREEDOM TO BREATHE
EVs produce zero tailpipe pollution, protecting American families from asthma, cancer, heart disease, and other chronic diseases. No matter what you choose to drive, we all deserve to breathe clean air — and the freedom to drive electric will help us achieve that goal.
The chemicals in tailpipe exhaust are known to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, cancer, asthma and other lung diseases, and other chronic diseases. [Source]
FREEDOM TO RIDE
EVs aren’t just for drivers — transit riders, K-12 students, and community members all benefit from the reliability, clean air, and cost savings delivered by electric bus services.
Over its lifetime, a typical electric school bus saves over $100,000 in lifetime fuel and maintenance savings compared to a diesel-powered equivalent. [Source]
FREEDOM TO CHOOSE
Rapid growth in the EV market has given American consumers more vehicle choices than ever before. Today, no driver has to choose between reliability, fuel economy, and raw power — they can get all three in one of the many electric SUVs or pickup trucks offered by virtually every manufacturer on the U.S. market.
Roughly 130 unique EV models are available on the U.S. market from virtually every auto brand and manufacturer. [Source]
FREEDOM TO BUILD
EVs are already driving a massive rebirth of America’s manufacturing industry. To keep our momentum up, we need to keep the policy standards and economic incentives that we already have in place, not scrap them for parts.
$224 billion in investments and 243,000 jobs across 557 manufacturing facilities for electric vehicles, batteries, and critical minerals were announced between 2009 and 2024. [Source]
FREEDOM TO COMPETE
In the past, American auto manufacturers competed against German and Japanese rivals. Today, China is our main competitor in the global auto market, propelled by strong performance in the EV sector. America needs to invest in EVs in order to compete with China and maintain its historic dominance of the global auto market.
Globally, gas-powered vehicle sales peaked in 2017 and have declined more than 23% since then. [Source] The United States has attracted more investment in EV and battery manufacturing than any other country. [Source]
FREEDOM TO DRIVE
The American values of freedom, technological advancement, and economic opportunity should be at the forefront of our transportation industry — not partisan politics.
Route Zero’s Freedom to Drive initiative calls on policymakers from both sides of the aisle at the municipal, state, and federal levels to take a stand for America’s electric vehicle industry.