Feature

Electric vs. Gasoline-powered vehicles: the effects on a nation's economic production and public finances

The electric vehicle (EV) has returned to center stage: automakers are once again developing projects and some have already begun industrializing various models; car rental companies and car-sharing services have made room for EVs in their fleets; and national / regional policies have taken greater interest, as have the media and the general public. The key considerations herein pertain, first and foremost, to local ecological impacts resulting from EV introduction (zero pollutant emissions, less noise) as well as the possibility of harnessing renewable energy sources (hydraulic, wind, solar) or at least carbon-free sources (nuclear), as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Subsequent advantages include energy diversification, which helps overcome strategic dependence between countries; in addition, the industrial production of EVs is a major stake for both domestic employment and foreign trade.