A study found that China’s expanded rollout of electric vehicles may have reduced exposure to air pollution and prevented up to 262,000 premature deaths. The analysis said the spread of EVs led to lower emissions of harmful pollutants such as PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides, improving public health.

On June 9 local time, IT outlet TechRadar reported that Chinese researchers published findings analysing how rising EV adoption affected air quality and health.

The researchers said wider consumer adoption of EVs reduced emissions of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide from internal combustion and hybrid vehicles. They said this lowered premature death rates, especially in urban areas.

The study used satellite observation data. The researchers compared real-world conditions with wider EV adoption against a hypothetical scenario in which EVs had not spread, and analysed changes in air quality. They found carbon monoxide concentrations fell about 30 percent and PM2.5 concentrations about 23 percent as EVs spread.

The researchers said the air-quality improvement led to lower death rates from major diseases linked to air pollution, including lung cancer, respiratory illness, stroke and cardiovascular disease. They estimated that thousands of additional lives were protected each year after EV adoption expanded, and that up to 262,000 people may have avoided premature death on a cumulative basis.

The study is also drawing attention as an example of the health effects of China’s EV-promotion policies pursued over several years. China has implemented subsidies and support policies worth hundreds of billions of dollars to foster the EV industry, and companies such as BYD and Geely grew in the process. The study said more than half of new cars sold in China last year were EVs.

The researchers said the benefits of the EV rollout were not evenly distributed by region. In urban areas, reductions in nitrogen oxides and fine dust were clearly confirmed, but in rural areas and small and mid-sized cities the improvements were relatively smaller. The researchers said differences in EV adoption rates, a lack of charging infrastructure and regional income gaps affected the results.

The joint research team called the results "encouraging, but requiring cautious interpretation". It said air-quality improvements were clear, but large cities with stronger purchasing power for new cars and better access to charging infrastructure benefited more.

Debate over the environmental effects of EVs is also continuing. Some point out that even if EVs do not emit exhaust, pollution is merely shifted elsewhere if the power used for charging is generated from fossil fuels. China relies on coal power for about 55 percent of total electricity generation as of April this year.

Experts therefore say decarbonising the power sector must go hand in hand with broader EV adoption to maximise environmental effects. China is pushing to increase the share of solar, wind and hydropower to meet its carbon-neutrality goals.

In the industry, the study is being assessed as showing that the spread of EVs can deliver tangible benefits for health and public health beyond simply reducing carbon emissions. At the same time, some also point to the need for more balanced energy-transition policies because effects can vary depending on the power-generation mix and regional infrastructure gaps.