Motor vehicle exhaust emissions are a major contributor to air pollution nationwide, especially in urban areas. Burning gasoline and diesel fuel releases many dangerous chemicals into the air including particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which cause the creation of ground level ozone. Switching to zero-emissions vehicles and getting the most polluting cars off the road is one of the best ways to reduce air pollution. But many families believe that they can’t afford this switch. The truth is that in addition to making the air cleaner, switching to a zero-emissions vehicle can actually save you money. Read on to find out how one local program is making a big difference for drivers and the air they breathe.
Zero-Emission Vehicles are Important for Health
The Lung Association’s own “Zeroing In on Healthy Air” report series found that a nationwide switch to zero-emission vehicles, coupled with clean electricity, would have enormous benefits for health. That transition would save 110,000 lives by 2050 – and amount to $1.2 trillion in public health benefits from avoided health harms.
Another report, called Cleaner Cars, Cleaner Air, looked to California as a case study. It found that despite comprising only 19% of the state's vehicles, pre-2004 gasoline and diesel-powered cars and trucks are responsible for a significant share of harmful emissions, including 55% of nitrogen oxides and 64% of reactive organic gases from passenger vehicles. Additionally, the study highlights that pollution from these older vehicles disproportionately affects Black and Latino Americans, low-income households, and communities designated as disadvantaged.
Valley Clean Air Now (Vally CAN), located in San Joaquin Valley, the region with the worst air quality in the U.S., is responding to this need. “Here in California, we have the largest older fleet in the U.S.,” Tom Knox, executive director of Valley CAN, explains. “Old gas guzzlers are very dirty, and those older vehicles are concentrated inland where the air quality is worst.” Committed to reducing air emissions by helping everyone own a cleaner car, regardless of their economic status, Valley CAN offers programs that assist these disproportionately affected drivers in a variety of ways.
Tune In, Tune Up
In the San Joaquin Valley, like in many places nationwide, cars need to pass periodic emissions tests. Emissions testing – or “smog tests,” as they’re called in California – is one of the most tried and tested tools to help reduce unhealthy levels of air pollution in the area.
When a car is new, the smog system is rarely an issue and is exempted from emissions testing requirements for the first eight years. But once a car gets over 100,000 miles and is on its third owner, the emissions system is likely to degrade. Unfortunately, many of these owners tend to be on a tight budget, meaning upkeep and maintenance costs can be an ongoing challenge. Having to test and update their emissions system can cost over $800 to get up to code. “It is almost inevitable that a low-income driver is going to run into this problem. These are people who have to move farther out to get affordable housing, so they have to drive farther to get good paying jobs,” Tom Knox explained. “There are about 3% of vehicles that are emitting 40% of emissions in California because the people who own those cars can’t afford smog repairs.”
As cars and car repairs get more expensive, it gets harder for low-income people to keep these vehicles compliant. This is where Valley CAN steps in. For the past 20 years, the Tune In & Tune Up smog repair program has offered free vehicle emissions testing at events held all over the region. If a vehicle fails the emissions test, drivers are given a voucher for free emission-related repairs at a local STAR-certified smog shop. The program has been extremely successful, with over 70,000 low-income, disadvantaged community residents attending the events throughout the region, resulting in repairs to over 30,000 high-emitting vehicles.
Vehicle Replacement Program
In 2013, impressed by the success of Tune In & Tune Up, California Senator Fran Pavley authored a bill that added the option for a vehicle replacement program that would become Clean Cars 4 All. Starting in 2015, Vally CAN began offering income-qualified customers the opportunity to trade in their gas-guzzling vehicle for a car that required little or no gasoline. Since its inception, this program has had a very positive response in the community.
“Gas costs are a big burden for this community so the opportunity to cut that cost was a big motivator for them,” said Tom Knox. “The money earned during the first two days of work, for many families, all goes toward filling the tank. The more you drive to work the more you have to pay for gas; it is a vicious cycle. When we eliminate this expense, it is totally transformative. They love their plug-in vehicles."
The program has replaced over 8,000 cars, with more than 80% of them going to residents of disadvantaged communities. Currently, the program offers up to $12,000 and continues to evolve as more used plug-in vehicles become available and continue to be more desirable and affordable than used gas-powered vehicles. "We are solving the problem, which reduces stress in these people’s lives. You improve quality of life, and you improve air quality. It’s a win-win situation,” Tom exclaimed.
To learn more about the benefits of driving an EV and whether you qualify for EV tax credits or incentives, check out our previous Each Breath blog which addresses frequently asked questions about EVs. You can also learn more about the EV’s benefits from our many electric vehicle reports, available to you at Lung.org/EV.
Blog last updated: May 27, 2025
