As the use of electric vehicles has rapidly expanded in China in recent years, air pollution has decreased and an estimated 260,000 premature deaths have been prevented in the country, according to a new analysis.

On the 5th (local time), the international journal ‘Nature’ highlighted research showing that the spread of electric vehicles is reducing deaths from diseases related to air pollution.

Outdoor air pollution is known to cause more than 4 million premature deaths worldwide, a quarter of which occur in China. Long-term exposure to air pollutants can cause stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory illnesses. Emissions such as carbon monoxide, fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides from internal combustion engine vehicles that burn fossil fuels are major contributors.

Although electric vehicles are expected to generate fewer pollutants than fossil fuel-powered vehicles, there has so far been limited long-term evidence on their contribution to reducing air pollution. The Chinese government is estimated to have invested hundreds of billions of dollars over the past 20 years in subsidies and tax incentives to promote the production and sale of electric vehicles. Last year, more than half of all cars sold in China were electric.

According to research published on May 13 (local time) in the international journal ‘Nature Health’, satellite measurements of air quality in 150 Chinese cities where battery electric vehicles, hybrids and hydrogen vehicles have been introduced showed that carbon monoxide concentrations fell by about 30% compared with a counterfactual scenario in which all vehicles were powered by internal combustion engines. Levels of fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres (㎛, 1 ㎛ is one-millionth of a metre) decreased by more than 23%.

The research team estimated that improvements in outdoor urban air quality prevented 262,000 cases of premature death.

Air pollution reduction effects have also been observed in the United States. In January this year, a research team at the University of Southern California reported in the international journal ‘The Lancet Planetary Health’ that the adoption of ‘zero-emission vehicles’, including electric vehicles, across California has led to improvements in air quality.

An analysis of daily nitrogen dioxide levels measured at 1,700 residential locations between 2019 and 2023 found that for every 200 additional zero-emission vehicles registered, nitrogen dioxide concentrations tended to decrease by 1.1%.

Experts caution that treating all electric vehicles as identical can lead to misjudgments. Large passenger cars and trucks emit substantial amounts of particulate pollution from engines, brakes and tires, regardless of their power source.

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– doi.org/10.1038/s44360-026-00120-2
– doi.org/10.1016/j.lanplh.2025.101379