California Targets 1.5 Million Electric Vehicles in 10 Years
Environmental groups like Natural Resources Defense Council and electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors told CARB that auto companies may be able to reach the state’s target by simply submitting credits, and changes to the program’s credit system are required.
A California lawmaker next week will introduce a bill requiring 15% of all vehicles sold in the state to be emissions-free by 2025, her spokeswoman said on Friday.
Assemblywoman Autumn Burke says the legislation is needed to ensure that California’s current zero emissions vehicle target is met with actual vehicles and not just clean car credits, which environmentalists claim have flooded the market.
CARB has for years operated a zero emission vehicles program, which has helped the state achieve its current level of about 200,000 ZEVs on the road.
But a complex system of clean car credits, designed to give automakers flexibility in meeting the sales target, has led to a glut of credits, according to experts.
About 4% of vehicles sold in California are zero emissions vehicles, which include full battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and plug-in hybrids. The NRDC estimates that under the current rules and credit system, California would have only 6% of all vehicles emission-free by 2025. – Fortune
