WASHINGTON (July 27, 2021)—The state of Minnesota has officially adopted strong vehicle standards which will clean up conventional gasoline vehicles and encourage the adoption of electric vehicles. These new standards will cut pollution, save Minnesota drivers money at the pump and put the state on a path to a cleaner, healthier transportation system. Pollution from transportation is a major contributor to climate change but it also threatens people’s health, disproportionately affecting Black, Latinx and other communities of color in the state. With this action, Minnesota joins 14 other states and the District of Columbia as a clean-car state, a demonstration of national momentum for clean car standards, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
Below is a statement by Michelle Robinson, director of the Clean Transportation Program at UCS.
“Clean car standards are good for consumers, for jobs and for the climate. Transportation is the biggest source of global warming emissions in Minnesota, and we know that we can’t meet our climate goals without using every tool at our disposal to cut that pollution. That’s why it’s so important that Minnesota has adopted a strong set of standards that will reduce pollution from conventional vehicles and speed the adoption of clean electric vehicles in the years to come.
“Governor Walz and the state’s Pollution Control Agency have put Minnesota on the right path by adopting clean car standards. The growing set of clean-car states are working together to build a better future, and the federal government should recognize this momentum and put forth the strongest possible national standards so drivers everywhere can benefit.”
UCS analysis shows that, in Minnesota, electric vehicles cut global warming emissions from driving by nearly half compared to comparable gasoline vehicles, and that Minnesota drivers save dramatically on fuel costs by switching to electric—especially rural drivers, who can save an average of $750 on fuel every year.