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Gasoline-powered passenger cars account for about 17% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Earlier this month, President Biden signed an executive order setting a goal that by 2030, half of all cars sold in the U.S. would be hybrid or electric. And major automakers have joined in support to make this a reality.

But will a widespread switch to battery-powered cars ensure a cleaner future? And what does it take to make the shift from gas to electric? Dr. Alok Patel speaks with a leader in automobile battery development to learn the inner workings of electric vehicles, and checks in with an expert in energy and transportation systems to better understand the environmental impact and infrastructure requirements of a shift to electric.

NOVA Now is a production of GBH and PRX. It’s produced by: Terence Bernardo Ari Daniel Jocelyn Gonzales Isabel Hibbard Sandra Lopez-Monsalve Rosalind Tordesillas

Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt are the co-Executive Producers of NOVA. Dante Graves is Director of Audience Development. Sukee Bennett is Senior Digital Editor. Christina Monnen is Associate Researcher. Robin Kazmier is Science Editor. Lorena Lyon is Digital Production Assistant Devin Robins is Managing Producer of Podcasts at GBH.

Our theme music is by the DJ that makes it rain with funky beats, DJ Kid Koala.

Image credits: Tim De Chant, WGBH; Plug'n Drive, Flickr

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