What measure would most reduce the environmental impact of zombie cars?

• A. Relying on fossil fuels
• B. Deploying only for freight
• C. Powering them with clean energy such as electricity from renewable sources
• D. Limiting vehicle miles traveled by restricting usage

Answer: (C)

Powering them with clean energy from renewable sources is the best way to reduce environmental impact because the amount of pollution and greenhouse gases tied to vehicle operation largely comes from the energy source used to power the cars. If zombie cars run on fossil fuels, every mile adds emissions directly from burning those fuels. Switching to electricity generated from renewables slashes or nearly eliminates those emissions, and as renewable penetration grows, the overall environmental footprint drops even further.

Limiting vehicle miles traveled reduces energy use but doesn’t change the fact that the energy consumed still has a pollution footprint if it’s from fossil sources. Deploying only for freight or continuing to rely on fossil fuels also keeps emissions high or variable. The key idea is that cleaner energy sources directly lower the emissions associated with every mile driven, making it the most impactful measure.