Most environmentalists are fucking stupid. Agreed.
There is something to gain from electric drive. Many electric motors are over 90% efficient. Not only that but they generate massive amounts of torque from small packages at low speeds. They put gas motors to shame in these 2 departments. Storing the power is the biggest hurdle at this point.
If the power is still generated by Coal Plants then the gains are not as great. City smog will still be reduced by a great deal regardless.
If you can generate electricity through a decent source like nuclear, hydro, or solar then you can put together a system with a significant reduction in pollution.