California Regulators Eviscerate Clean Car Mandate Again – a 70% Drop
Yesterday the California Air Resources Board (CARB) revised its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Program, eliminating 70% of previous requirements to produce zero emission vehicles in 20122014.
Plug In America calls on California legislators to take over the charge of a pollution free future in the wake of air regulators’ shameful weakening of the ZEV Program. CARB voted to require automakers to produce only 5,357 zero emission vehicles in 2012-2014 while it considers a major overhaul of all clean car regulations in the state. The new regulations require less than an average of 297 zero emission vehicles per year per automaker, which is a 70% drop from the previous regulations, and results in a loss of at least 18,000 plug in hybrids in the same period.
Plug In America’s efforts over the past several years to educate CARB staff and its members produced several minor improvements in CARB’s revision of the ZEV Program. Plug In America supporters added their influence in recent weeks, during which citizens from all 50 U.S. states and 20 other countries contacted CARB and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, clamoring for cars that can run on electricity.
Highlights of yesterday’s revisions to the ZEV Program include:
• CARB rejected the staff’s proposal to shrink the number of ZEVs required of automakers in 2012-2014 from 25,000 down to 2,500 vehicles, and instead set the target at 5,357 vehicles – an improvement from the low numbers staff proposed, yet only 70% of current regulations.
• CARB continued its favoritism toward million dollar hydrogen vehicles over more realistic battery electric vehicles. Under the new regulations, automakers would have to make at least two battery electric vehicles to get the same credits as one hydrogen fuel cell vehicle – which dissuades automakers from producing the battery electric vehicles that consumers would like to drive. CARB gives more credit for the least viable technology – hydrogen – at the expense of more affordable, technologically ready battery electric vehicles.
• CARB heard our demand for full transparency in reporting how automakers meet the regulations, so that the public can verify compliance.
Plug In America’s campaign brought national attention to the demand for vehicles that run on cleaner, cheaper, domestic electricity. At the group’s request, former CIA Director R. James Woolsey testified at the CARB meeting on the wastefulness of diverting resources to hydrogen fuel cell programs and the need to get plug-in cars on the road soon in order to reduce U.S. dependence on oil and to increase national security. Former Secretary of State George Shultz and former Deputy Under Secretary of Education Peter R. Greer, both of whom served under President Ronald Reagan, wrote to Gov. Schwarzenegger imploring him to help get more electric vehicles on the market.
"As the only organization truly focused on battery electric vehicles, we brought electric cars back into the debate by bringing our concerns to the CARB staff and board, and to the press and the public," said Plug In America Executive Director Chelsea Sexton.
"We’ve got more to do," she added. Plug In America will seek legislative assistance to close the gaps in CARB’s plan. "Judicious use of the $120 million per year to be allocated under AB118 for the commercialization of alternative fuels and efficient vehicle technologies could help jumpstart the drive toward plug-in vehicles that stalled with CARB at the wheel today."
Posted by Chelsea Sexton
From Zan Dubin Scott,
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Plug In America
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