EarthJustice | EarthJustice Staff

Electric vehicles now include cars, transit buses, trucks of all sizes, and even big-rig tractor trailers that are at least partially powered by electricity.

Electric vehicles fall into three main categories:

• Battery electric vehicles are powered by electricity stored in a battery pack.
• Plug-in hybrids combine a gasoline or diesel engine with an electric motor and large rechargeable battery.
• Fuel cell vehicles split electrons from hydrogen molecules to produce electricity to run the motor.

It’s more than just passenger cars now — from New York to Mississippi, you may find yourself on a quiet, zipping electric transit bus. The first electric fire truck in the nation will be welcomed by Angelenos in 2021 — and in the coming years, electric sanitation trucks will be quietly gliding through neighborhoods to pick up garbage and recycling, and more electric trucks will be delivering packages from warehouses to homes, air pollution-free.