Want to breathe cleaner air? Fight climate change? Drive electric.

Electric vehicle owners love their cars because they’re fun to drive, easy to fuel, and cheap to maintain. However, one of the top reasons drivers choose electric cars is for their environmental benefits.

The bad news: In New York, 41.3% of total greenhouse gas emissions (which contribute to climate change) come from the transportation sector, more than two times more than any other sector. Gas-powered passenger cars are a big part of the problem.

The good news: Switching from a gas-powered car to an electric car significantly cuts your transportation emissions. In fact, according to data from the Union of Concerned Scientists, switching from the average gas-powered car to a plug-in hybrid charged on the power grid in upstate New York cuts your transportation-related emissions by more than half, and switching to an all-electric car cuts them by about 85%! That’s not to mention reductions in other pollutants (like particulate matter and sulfur and nitrogen oxides) that impacts public health. When it comes to transportation, individual decisions can have a lasting impact.

That’s why BNMC has partnered with National Grid to install charging stations for employees and visitors and is bringing you Drive Green with National Grid, a program that provides you with (a) useful information about electric cars, and (b) discounted deals from New York dealerships. Check it out at drivegreen.nationalgridus.com.

This page on the Drive Green with National Grid website has more information about the environmental and public health impacts of electric vehicles.