Advancing Sustainable Transportation

Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a central pathway for decarbonizing transport, yet sustained adoption depends on coordinated progress in technology, infrastructure, and policy. This mini-review synthesizes recent evidence on environmental performance, market growth, and enabling systems for large-scale electrification. First, it consolidates technical and life-cycle findings that indicate lower greenhouse gas emissions and higher energy-conversion efficiency for EVs relative to internal combustion engine vehicles, with advantages strengthening as grids decarbonize. Second, it examines charging infrastructure typologies and deployment patterns, highlighting the complementary roles of Level 2 and DC fast charging and the need for reliability, interoperability, and grid-aware siting. Third, it analyzes policy instruments—financial incentives, regulatory mandates, and planning frameworks—and compares national approaches to illustrate how instrument mixes shape outcomes. Persistent challenges include upfront affordability, uneven access to charging, grid integration under peak demand, and battery material sustainability. The review identifies future directions in managed and bidirectional charging, data-driven planning, AI-enabled operations, and circular economy practices for batteries, alongside equity-focused governance. Collectively, these insights outline a coherent agenda for scaling EV adoption while aligning climate mitigation with resilient and inclusive mobility.