Scientists have confirmed that the spread of electric vehicles and zero-emission cars directly contributes to reduced air pollution. A research team reached this conclusion after analyzing data from California between 2019 and 2023. The study was published in the scientific journal The Lancet Planetary Health and partially funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

The results show that in California communities, an increase in registered zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), including electric cars and plug-in hybrids, was accompanied by a noticeable drop in nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations. NO₂ is a key pollutant linked to internal combustion engine exhaust.

On average, every additional 200 registered ZEVs led to a 1.1% reduction in NO₂ levels. Unlike previous studies that relied mainly on ground monitoring station data, this new research used high-precision satellite measurements from the TROPOMI instrument. This tool allows daily tracking of pollutant concentrations in the atmosphere worldwide by analyzing sunlight absorption and reflection. That approach provided a more complete and objective picture of air quality changes. Nitrogen dioxide forms from burning fossil fuels and is directly associated with increased risks of asthma, bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, and strokes.

According to Dr. Erica Garcia, associate professor at the University of Southern California and the study's senior author, the immediate effect of reduced pollution is particularly important because it directly impacts human health.

During the study period, the share of zero-emission vehicles among all passenger cars in California grew from 2% to 5%. The researchers emphasize that the potential for environmental improvement is far from exhausted. For the analysis, the state was divided into 1,692 communities, and ZEV registration data came from open databases of the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Heavy trucks and commercial transport were not included in the calculations. To strengthen the reliability of their findings, the researchers conducted additional checks: they excluded pandemic effects, adjusted data for fuel price fluctuations and increased remote work, and repeated calculations using ground data from 2012 to 2023. In all cases, the results confirmed the original conclusions.

Next, the team plans to compare electric vehicle adoption rates with hospital visits for asthma and other respiratory diseases. This could make the study one of the first to document actual improvements in public health resulting from the shift to electric transportation.

This research clearly demonstrates that electric vehicles are not just an abstract "green idea" but a real tool for improving quality of life today, especially in densely populated regions.