“Vehicle emissions are an important source of urban air pollution. As the world’s largest market for new energy vehicles (NEVs), China has rapidly expanded NEV adoption to support green development. However, the environmental and health benefits of this transition remain unclear.  Here, using high-resolution satellite-retrieved data and interpretable  machine learning techniques, this study quantified the impact of NEVs  on atmospheric pollution, specifically particulate matter particles with  an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM 2.5 ), nitrogen dioxide,  carbon monoxide and particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm  or less, and evaluates the corresponding health benefits. By 2023, NEVs led to reductions of 23.80% in particles with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less  (8.97 μg m −3 ) and 30.67% in carbon monoxide (0.26 mg m −3 ), resulting in the prevention of approximately 262,000 non-accidental deaths and 75,000 all-cause deaths, respectively. Benefits were concentrated in economically developed cities, and reductions in coarse particles and nitrogen dioxide  (1.81 μg m −3 ) were low.”

From Nature.

“Demand for electric vehicles in Europe has surged as high fuel prices linked to the Iran war propel sales of new and second-hand EVs, data exclusively shared with ​Reuters shows, providing a much-needed boost to the auto industry…

Across Europe, data provided to Reuters by research group New Automotive and industry group E-Mobility Europe, showed registrations of new EVs rose ​34%, year-on-year, in April.

The data covers 16 markets that account for more than 80% of European Union and European Free Trade Association car sales.
It showed strong EV growth in ​Denmark and the Netherlands, where electric cars are already popular, but also in markets such as Italy, where EVs have been slow to take off.”

From Reuters.

“Waymo is nearly doubling its Houston service area to 50 square miles ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Why it matters: The expansion strategically includes NRG Stadium and East Downtown, positioning Waymo to serve World Cup crowds heading to matches and fan events — all starting just a month from now.

State of play: Waymo’s current Houston service area spans roughly 25 square miles around downtown, Montrose, the Heights, Rice Military and nearby neighborhoods.

• Riders will soon be able to access additional areas, including EaDo, the Texas Medical Center and northeast Houston.
• Waymo tells Axios the expansion will roll out in the coming weeks.”

From Axios.

“Recent advances in autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle technologies promise substantial cost savings for goods shipped by truck. In this study, we quantify the impacts of these transport cost reductions on the US interstate trade using a structural gravity model of domestic trade. Based on projected cost savings from the widespread adoption of self-driving technologies, we estimate significant increases in total interstate trade value. State-level impacts vary from 40.3% of GDP in Mississippi to 5.9% in Florida, while the largest impacts in dollar value are observed in Texas and New York. The sectoral analysis highlights motorized vehicles, mixed freight, and electronics as the industries experiencing the largest trade value growth. Additionally, goods with low value-to-weight ratios—where shipping costs represent a large share of the delivered value—are expected to benefit most in relative terms. These findings underscore the transformative potential of autonomous vehicle technologies in reshaping US trade patterns and sectoral dynamics.”

From Journal of Regional Science.