Decommissioning Internal-combustion VEhicles (DIVE) Margot Gerritsen Margot Gerritsen
Margot Gerritsen

True Decommissioning

Row of Tesla's parked

We define True Decommissioning as removing internal combustion engine (ICE) light-duty vehicles (LDVs) from the road permanently, quickly, and, equitably. Significant advancements in zero-emissions light-duty vehicles (ZE LDVs), including battery electric vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles, have made it possible to replace ICE LDVs with cleaner alternatives, opening the door to implementing True Decommissioning. In the United States, the transportation sector is mainly focused on encouraging adoption of ZE LDVs as well as banning sales of new ICE LDVs (e.g. Executive Order N-79-20 in California) and not explicitly focused on the removal of the 270 million LDVs operating on US roads today. Although some programs exist that address removal, they have not succeeded in rapid vehicle removal at scale and benefits offered as part of the programs are not equitably distributed among the population. We must remove ICE LDVs from the road with careful consideration of the stakeholders who will be affected to ensure the transition to clean LDV mobility is done equitably. 

Reference

Syal, S. M., Eggerman, K., & Gerritsen, M., 2021, “True Decommissioning: Removing Internal Combustion Engine Light-Duty Vehicles Permanently, Quickly, and Equitably,” engrXiv Read the paper