How electric cars in California affect local air quality and breathing
Electric Vehicle Adoption in California: Predictors, Impacts on Local Air Quality and Respiratory Health
This project looks at whether growing use of electric cars in California leads to cleaner neighborhood air and fewer breathing problems for people with asthma and other lung conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11394793 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The researchers will begin by talking with community members in Southeast Los Angeles to learn about barriers and opportunities for adopting electric vehicles. They will use those conversations to refine their questions and then analyze statewide air pollution and health records to compare neighborhoods with different levels of EV adoption. The team will link neighborhood EV uptake to local air quality changes and respiratory health outcomes like asthma and COPD, and return to communities to discuss findings and implications. The mixed-methods design aims to make sure the science reflects real experiences and highlights disparities in who benefits from electrification.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are California residents—especially people living in traffic-burdened neighborhoods such as Southeast Los Angeles—who can join focus groups or share local experiences about air quality, vehicle access, and respiratory health.
Not a fit: People who live outside California, who cannot join local focus groups, or whose health issues are unrelated to air pollution are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could show where EV adoption reduces pollution and breathing problems and help target policies to protect people with asthma and COPD.
How similar studies have performed: Modeling studies suggest EVs reduce tailpipe pollution, but few real-world, community-engaged studies have directly connected rising EV adoption to neighborhood air quality and respiratory health, making this approach relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES
- University of Southern California — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Garcia, Erika — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Garcia, Erika
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.