Governmental agencies, environmental activists, and entrepreneurs are working together to support the booming industry of Low emission vehicles (LEVs). The main purpose of LEVs is to meet the demands of every day commuting, while reducing the environmental damage that vehicles can have.
The category of LEVs is very broad: electric cars, hybrid cars, ebikes and scooters are all LEVs. What is common to most of them is that they use electricity, stored in batteries, to operate. Sometimes, cars use alternative fuels, such as ethanol and compressed natural gas, which burn cleaner than gasoline or diesel. Some electric vehicles use hydrogen fuel cells to create energy.
Vehicles that use batteries to completely replace gasoline, like electric cars, ebikes and electric scooters, are usually called Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). ZEVs produce no tailpipe emissions. While electric power plants, which are necessary for charging the battery, may emit pollution, the total emissions associated with driving LEVs are still less than those for gasoline cars. This is especially true if the electricity comes from renewable energy sources, like wind, biomass, or solar. Of course, non-motorized bicycles, scooters and skateboards are ZEVs and are a great way to stay fit. However, they are not very practical if you have a long or very hilly commute. Ebikes and electric scooters usually follow the same laws as non-motorized bikes, so you don’t even have to have a driver’s license to use them.
The Environmental Protection Agency in the US has created a Green Vehicle Guide, which points out that LEVs are efficient in reducing not only our carbon footprint, but also our every day spending.
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