Electric Vehicle Usage, Pollution Damages, and the Electricity Price Elasticity of Driving

I study battery electric vehicle (BEV) usage and ownership characteristics with fundamental implications for transportation’s electrification. Using data covering the entire BEV population in New York, I quantify BEV mileage, pollution damages, and environmental justice concerns that vehicle charging exports pollution from high- to low-income areas. Finding that mileage is a greater contributor to pollution damages than vehicle efficiency or local characteristics, I estimate the price elasticity of BEV driving. A 10% increase in per-mile electricity costs reduces mileage by 1%, but responsiveness falls as public charging stations—where prices are often decoupled from electricity costs—become available