Industry News: California Rules 15% Of New Vehicles Sold In 2025 To Have Zero Emissions

[William Maley]

William Maley

Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

January 30, 2012

Just as we got to the point of everyone agreeing that 54.5 MPG was an attainable goal for 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has decided to change things up.

CARB has ruled to enforce the 54.5 MPG rule and to will also require at least 15.4% of all cars sold by any major automaker in the state to either be fully electric, plug-in hybrid, or hydrogen fuel cell by 2025.

Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board said she viewed the 15.4% “a relatively modest goal, but that’s all that we’re mandating. Probably the most heartening aspect of this whole rulemaking was the level of cooperation that we received from the industry… Overall, the degree of support for the package was just extraordinary.”

Eventhough the automakers are on board, the question is will consumers be on board with this plan.. The California New Car Dealers Association estimates CARB's plan would add about $3,200 to the average price of a new car or truck. Appropriately, Mary Nichols said, “direct incentives to people who buy these cars (like) rebates and credits” are being worked out.

At least ten more states will follow California’s lead, upping the projected total of advanced green vehicles near three million vehicles by 2025, 1.4 million of which would be in California.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[regfootball]

they just keep trying don't they

[G. David Felt]

WOW, You would think with their debt that they would realize that they need to give the public a chance to Find a Job, Pay off debt and allow companies to grow before they continue to make things hard.

Stupid politicians.

[Drew Dowdell]

Mandating that people purchase a certain number of a certain type of vehicle is dumb.

[dwightlooi]

Just as dumb as the "Global Warming Solutions Act", which requires that a third of Californian power come from renewable sources and companies trade carbon credits instead of letting the price and viability of each energy source compete on a free market. What happens when you do that is that electricity rates go up 40~70%, manufacturing flee your state and everyone pays more to support the politician's favoured but uttely uncompetitive industries.

In this case, everyone will have to end up paying more for transportation to subsidize cars and infrastructure that nobody but a small minority of tree huggers want. California is on the road to destroying its own ecconomy and attractiveness as a state to live and work in. That's the sad thing.... not the who gets the final laugh in this environmental witch hunt.

[Blake Noble]

How do people in California sleep at night knowing they have elected officials like Mary Nichols? Her exceptional stupidity may just come back to haunt her down the road.

Anyway, just add this to the long list of reasons why I wouldn't want to visit California very for very long, let alone live there.

[daves87rs]

Mandating that people purchase a certain number of a certain type of vehicle is dumb.

Yep, but somehow I expect it to get worse...

[Z-06]

How do people in California sleep at night knowing they have elected officials like Mary Nichols? Her exceptional stupidity may just come back to haunt her down the road.

Anyway, just add this to the long list of reasons why I wouldn't want to visit California very for very long, let alone live there.

Which politician has been haunted for all the "fantastic" decisions he/she has made?

[Drew Dowdell]

oh... and California.... I want a pony.

[67impss]

Sad thing this insanity and mindless drivel is spreading to other States in our Union. The Auto makers and this whole Country will have to foot the bill for their nanny state.I guess we'll see $100KChevy P/U's with a bed full of batteries and a payload of maybe 1000lbs & 50mi range.

[Camino LS6]

Give them an inch...

[67impss]

Yep every election

[ocnblu]

STOO PID

[SAmadei]

I wish someone in Cali would sponsor a bill that renames Zero Emissions Vehicle as a Mostly Relocated Emissions Vehicle (It still outgases when newer and leaves rubber behind... and obviously the power it uses creates emissions at the electric plant).

[pow]

Manufacturers are in on this because they want to see returns on the billions they've invested on new technology.

For consumers, the greater initial cost will be offset by substantial savings down the road, as well as the millions in public health benefits.

[Justin Bimmer]

Automakers are in for the first time ever. The government is willing to subsidize for a change. The five worst air basins in the United States will benefit. California is forcing a lead in technology again. Remember as California's economy goes so does the rest of the nation.

[bobo]

Mary Nichols was appointed by the Governator and reappointed by Jerry Brown. Back in 1990, CARB enacted a 10% zero emission requirement that was to take effect by 2003. This led to intense research by the automakers that resulted in vehicles such as the EV1. CARB eventually caved in to industry pressure and dropped the ZEV requirement and instead allowed hybrids and other technology for low emission vehicles. The technology has clearly progressed, under government prodding, and these mandates no longer seem unachievable. In California, the majority of electricity, 57%, is generated from natural gas. The rest is from 15% nuclear, 12% hydro, 2% coal, and 14% renewable.

[Blake Noble]

Which politician has been haunted for all the "fantastic" decisions he/she has made?

Nixon was the first name that came to mind, although the decision he made that would haunt him didn't involve allowing some sort of mandate to pass.

Give me a bit and I can think of more.