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E-Planes, E-Trains, and E-Automobiles
The road to an electric future hasn’t been built yet, but now we have the map.
To reach zero-emission targets as soon as possible, we need a hard look at achievable timelines and available technology. We can take shortcuts in some areas, but we face unavoidable delays in others. Knowing the difference means investing capital wisely where it will have the most impact. To that end, here’s what we’re up against in transportation.
The Journey
A 1987 John Hughes tragi-comedy sums up our climate journey. In Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Steve Martin and Neal Page endure an agonizing trip filled with multiple transportation mishaps. The airline canceled, just as carbon footprints cancel air travel today. The train pooped out, just as electric engines still need a diesel push. Each form of road transport had limited range. Their car even caught on fire, long before lithium batteries.
Thirty-five years later, we still feel their pain. What will it take to get us to our destination of a 100% carbon-free transportation sector? How close are we at removing each percentage of global GHG emissions, and how much will it cost?
Planes: 1.9% by 2042. USD $2.2 trillion
Trains: 0.4% by 2070. USD $600 billion
Trucks: 2.3% by 2037. USD…