This paper offers some important conclusions regarding air quality of various types of light-duty vehicles including EV's. http://www.pnas.org/content/111/52/18490.full.pdf
"We find that powering vehicles with corn ethanol or with coal-based or "grid average" electricity increases monetized enrvironmental health impacts by 80% or more relative to using conventional gasoline. Conversely, EV's powered by low-emitting electricity from NG, wind, water, or solar power reduce environmental health impacts by 50% or more. Consideration of potential climate change impacts alongside the human health outcomes described here further reinforces the environmental preferability of EV's powered by low-emitting electricity relative to gasoline vehicles."
"We find that powering vehicles with corn ethanol or with coal-based or "grid average" electricity increases monetized enrvironmental health impacts by 80% or more relative to using conventional gasoline. Conversely, EV's powered by low-emitting electricity from NG, wind, water, or solar power reduce environmental health impacts by 50% or more. Consideration of potential climate change impacts alongside the human health outcomes described here further reinforces the environmental preferability of EV's powered by low-emitting electricity relative to gasoline vehicles."
