Brent ToderianNov 11, 2024
THREAD: I’m going to share this thread here to clearly state my perspective on electric vehicles, car dependency and better cities, for all those who frequently ask me about it, including media, elected leaders and many others. Here goes. Please share it frequently if you think it will help. 🧵#EVS
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 11, 2024
TO BE CLEAR, despite the many complexities, problems & grey areas that make electric vehicles MUCH more complicated than the “silver bullets” many claim them to be, I DO support the rapid replacement of ICE vehicles with EVs. It will take longer and be more complicated than boosters think. BUT…
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 11, 2024
BUT it’s important to understand what #EVs WON’T do, that we STILL badly need BETTER solutions for. We know FOR SURE that heavier EV cars, trucks & SUVs badly pollute even more from manufacturing, brakes & tires, creating serious health issues even IF the energy sources are renewable (many aren’t).
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 11, 2024
We know FOR SURE that there are huge pollution, climate, health, equity, and public/personal cost consequences connected to continued car dependency from all the highway, road-widening & parking CONSTRUCTION supporting more vehicles, whether they are EV or not. This siphons $ from better solutions.
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 11, 2024
We already know FOR SURE that even if every motor vehicle CURRENTLY out there was replaced with an #EV, it wouldn’t get us far enough in addressing the transport part of the #ClimateCrisis. It doesn’t do enough to reduce emissions, even before we consider all the OTHER issues and externalities.
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 11, 2024
We already know FOR SURE that EVs definitely don’t solve the HUGE space, parking & traffic congestion problems in cities caused by TOO MANY VEHICLES no matter what their power source (and remember, vehicles are getting BIGGER), OR the shocking number of deaths & injuries each year from car crashes.
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 12, 2024
But the part that’s maybe the MOST concerning is our well established tendency (see #JevonsParadox) to buy more/bigger vehicles & drive them further if we think they’ve gotten better (“greener”). We KNOW the resulting more/bigger cars & kms driven have been outpacing the benefits of “better cars.”
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 12, 2024
All this is to say that it’s CRITICAL, even as we strive to achieve “better cars,” that we make EVERY smart move necessary at the same time (or even BEFORE/proactively), to ensure that we are achieving FEWER cars, LESS driving, more inviting transportation alternatives, & better communities/cities!
Marcel 🛡 ♻5d ago
Show threadBrent Toderian
The BIG problem is because of massive car manufacturing influence, most media and political energy is going to EVs, with not NEARLY enough going to fewer cars and less driving. But the priority HAS to be the latter, since it’s the part of the solution that will actually do much more public good.
Nov 12, 2024 at 12:42amWeb
Show threadAJ SadauskasNov 12, 2024
And that's without mentioning: 1. The urban heat island effect from massive asphalt roads and carparks 2. One of the largest sources of microplastic pollution is the synthetic rubber in tyres 3. EVs still encourage cities to sprawl into farmland and wilderness areas.
Show threadWalter 🇨🇦 (ウォールター)Nov 12, 2024
Yes. Turns out EVs are still stupid cars. Doesn't matter the power source.
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 12, 2024
“Electrification has been touted as a silver bullet: an easy solution that alleviates the GHG burden from car owners worldwide. This isn’t the case. Extensive vehicle electrification only lowers emissions by a portion of what’s needed.” Via @wrirosscities.bsky.social itdp.org/2021/12/09/w...

To Combat Climate Change, Elec...
WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (@wrirosscities.bsky.social)

Helping cities make big ideas happen. A program of @WorldResources. Producer of http://TheCityFix.org. Home of #PrizeForCities.

Bluesky Social
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 12, 2024
Over the decade ending in 2019, global SUV ownership doubled. “If it keeps growing at its current rate, increased SUV ownership will offset the entire emissions reduction from electric vehicles.” Plus they’re much more likely than smaller cars to kill pedestrians. www.fastcompany.com/90420280/sho...

Should we outlaw SUVs?
Should we outlaw SUVs?

Over the last decade, global SUV ownership has doubled. In that time, the vehicles contributed more to the increase in global CO2 emissions than airlines, trucks, or heavy industry.

Fast Company
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 12, 2024
Here’s the blunt reality — reasonably-sized electric vehicles need to be the future of cars, but cars can’t be the future of urban mobility. Fewer cars. Less driving. More inviting mobility choices. Better communities and cities. These are the 4 pillars of the REAL urban transportation solution.
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 12, 2024
“The report makes clear that simply replacing gasoline with batteries won’t be enough: cities must also dramatically curtail automobile use and avoid 'locking in' future emissions by building more car-dependent infrastructure." Via @streetsblogusa.bsky.social mass.streetsblog.org/2022/04/22/i...

International Climate Report D...
Bluesky

Bluesky Social
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 12, 2024
The future of transportation isn’t the #Hyperloop or self-driving cars. It’s the bus, the bike, and the elevator. Via Slate. AND it’s much better land-use and infrastructure decisions, reprioritizing space and budgets, accessible streets, and smart pricing mechanisms. slate.com/technology/2...

The Future of Transportation I...
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 12, 2024
Never forget, the electric car is here to save the car industry, not the planet.
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 13, 2024
So I’ll repeat —we DO need to replace the current number of ICE vehicles with a LOT FEWER EVs. BETTER & FEWER. It’ll take LOTS of work on infrastructure including the transformation of millions of private parking spaces. Unlike driverless cars, it IS part of the solution & needs to happen quickly.
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 13, 2024
As I put it a few years ago in my blunt advice to Irish cities, “Your goal SHOULDN’T be to replace a million fossil fuel vehicles with a million electric vehicles. It should be to replace a million fossil fuel vehicles with 250,000 electric vehicles. The main answer MUST be FEWER cars driven LESS."
Show threadBrent ToderianNov 17, 2024
The transportation portion of climate-changing emissions has grown by 54% since 1990, in part because people have been driving more and buying bigger pick-up trucks and SUVs. SHIFTING TO EVs IS NOT ENOUGH. Car dependency is the deeper problem. Via @parismarx.bsky.social www.cbc.ca/news/opinion...

OPINION | Shifting to EVs is n...
parismarx.bsky.social

This account is just a placeholder. Follow Paris here: @parismarx.com

Bluesky Social
Show threadPeter BrownAug 5, 2025
@brenttoderian.bsky.social that is a slightly cynical view. We need to urgently reduce our carbon emissions and one of the ways of doing it is moving motive power from fossil fuels to electric.
City dwellers could probably survive without a car but rural populations would find their experience profoundly life changing and frankly not in a good way. So moving to an EV is a much easier sell than abandoning the car completely.
Show threadSimon TaplinNov 13, 2024
@brenttoderian.bsky.social Not as much progress has been made since 2019 when this article was first published
Show threadSimon LucyAug 5, 2025

@brenttoderian.bsky.social

Well, as with most of our problems dealing with having lots of cars, buses, trains, planes, not enough other things, like housing, food, water and such; it's just one thing.

Our population, the whole global population.

Reduce it to, oh a hundred million?
So if you want to start...
Then you can drive as much as you like.
Or, maybe not.

Show threadPeter BrownJan 25
@brenttoderian.bsky.social how anybody can suggest that that is a safe environment for pedestrians is beyond me.
Why not just put the pavement down the middle of the street?
Show thread🇨🇦 Kari Raymer Bishop 🇨🇦Aug 7, 2025
My HVAC guy drives one of those Japanese mini trucks for in-town jobs. Replaced his huge pickup. Told me no one notices his fleet of vans/trucks. Everyone notices the mini truck and it sends business his way, while saving gas etc. I had to admit that what why I called him to put in our heat pump. 🛻
Show thread🇨🇦 Kari Raymer Bishop 🇨🇦Aug 7, 2025
*WAS why I called him