What Are the Benefits?

  • Cleaner cars save money. Low-emission gas cars are more efficient than regular gas cars, which saves drivers money at the pump. Electric cars save money in two ways: first, because their engines are more efficient than gas engines. Second, it’s cheaper to power a car with electricity than with gasoline: in Las Vegas, the cost of electricity is equivalent to just $0.41 per gallon. Electric car drivers also save money on maintenance costs—no oil means no oil changes!
  • Electric vehicles support jobs and keep money in Nevada. As our state gets more of our power from renewable energy sources such as solar, we’re investing money in local jobs. Nearly 1,200 Nevadans have clean transportation jobs already and the Zero Emission Vehicle Standard could double that by 2030. Our state barely produces oil, and we send more than $4 billion out of state every year to buy fossil fuels. Clean Car Standards not only save consumers money – they keep those dollars circulating here at home.
  • Lower vehicle emissions reduce climate impacts. Las Vegas is the fastest warming city in the United States and has gotten almost 6 degrees hotter since 1970. Wildfires and drought are also linked to our warming and drying climate. The best way to fight climate change is to use clean electricity to power our lives, including our cars.
  • Reduced emissions improve public health. Smog and other vehicle pollution makes asthma and other health conditions worse. Cleaner air means people with asthma will enjoy a better quality of life, fewer hospital visits, and a reduction in asthma-related school absences. Everybody benefits when we can improve educational outcomes and lower health care costs.

What’s the Process?

  • The federal Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set vehicle emissions standards. Because California had serious smog problems at the time, the Clean Air Act also allows the state to develop stronger emissions requirements. Other states with unsafe air pollution levels can pick between the federal standards or the stronger California standards. 

  • More than a dozen states have adopted these stronger rules, but the EPA has tried to revoke their ability to go above and beyond the federal standards, which the Trump Administration is also trying to weaken. Nevada can join these states in adopting the Clean Car Standards because Clark and Washoe Counties have unsafe pollution levels.

  • While states fight for their right to set stronger vehicle emission standards, they are also preparing to adopt Clean Car Standards as soon as they are able. The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) has started the process of creating regulations for the Advanced Clean Cars Program, which will take several months and involve public meetings to get feedback from parents to business owners and everyone in between. It’s important for officials to hear from Nevadans who want cleaner air and the economic benefits of lower-emission vehicles in Nevada. 

  • For more information on the state’s rulemaking process, visit NDEP’s website.

  • To get involved, sign up here