Sierra Club calls for 100,000 ZEVs
Sierra Club California is appealing to its members to take action for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Sierra Club is one of the large environmental organizations that have been quite active federally and at the state level as government wrestles with automotive and emissions policies. Its involvement in the California debate is significant.
The ZEV Program of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) resulted in thousands of electric cars on the roads of California from 1997 through 2003. Revisions to the program in 2003 reduced dramatically the numbers of ZEVs required of automakers in the near term.
Carmakers promised time would allow alternative zero-emission technology to become commercializable. As we mentioned a bit yesterday, the 2003 revision permitted carmakers to follow their chosen path, and therefore didn't require higher numbers for more than a decade. Now the promised 25,000 ZEVs in the 2014-2017 period are within view. And CARB staff is advocating that that number be slashed by 90 percent. Sierra Club California believes that CARB should hold automakers to their 2003 commitment.
This is not a narrow California concern. As Sierra Club states in its Action Alert, "California is the only state allowed under the Clean Air Act to set tougher limits on vehicle emissions than federal regulations. Other states can choose to follow California's standards, and at least 10 states hope to do so. The CARB vote has national implications."
The Board is set to vote on March 27.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Blaine Decker 9:35AM (3/19/2008)
well that makes perfect sence, California wants to impliment a higher standard on all vehicles, but doesn't want zev's. Its like I have been saying all along, its a government control thing. Scare tactics. its ALL just a load of CRAP.
Theres 100 plus manufacturers in China, and here, that build nothing but wind generators and solar panels. If this was really as big of a problem as dumb america makes us believe, then these companies would be swamped. Are they?
If your car made its own electricity (solar panels), then the government would have no way to tax you. They don't know how much you have used or produced. But if its a plug in, then they can raise the price of electricity. if cars still use fuel (of any kind), then they can tax you and raise the fuel price too. But as soon as you leave their claws (the grid), then they lose.
Its scary for the government when they find out some people understand.
why do you think some people change their screen name, they don't want the government on thier backs.
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GenWaylaid 3:34PM (3/19/2008)
The Sierra Club claims a U.S. membership of 1.3 million, and I'd bet that well over a hundred thousand of them live in California. If they wanted to, I'm sure they could buy those 100000 ZEV's themselves -- oh, wait, no company is making that many.
Still, I suppose they could pledge "down payments" to demonstrate the size of the market. It might be a more effective tactic than just bullying CARB, who haven't demonstrated much efficacy on this issue in the past.
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Wildgoosechase73 6:46PM (3/19/2008)
Hmm, maybe GM should just sell Volts with the gas cap bolted on, that'd work.
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Drake 9:11AM (3/20/2008)
GM's EV1 in the 90's proved that a ZEV market could not be sustained from a business perspective. GM couldn't sell (actually lease) enough of them to keep the program going. No other manufacturer even tried to market a pure all electric vehicle. Kudos for GM for trying, no one else had the guts. CARB backed off of the ZEV requirement because they're favorite car company (Toyota) couldn't sell enough of their all electric RAV4, much less develop a purpose built ZEV vehicle. Will be interested in seeing how the Tesla does and if it survives.
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Eletruk 7:19PM (3/24/2008)
I always hear that comment about how the car manufacturers couldn't sell enough EVs to make money and so CARB backed off on their mandate. But from what I have heard, the car manufacturers did everything in their power to make sure the EV programs failed. The interview process just to be able to lease an EV1 was rediculous, to the point that pretty much only celebrities qualified. You never got that level of interference from a car company to lease any other car. The television ads (if there ever where any) were about the worst ever made to actually sell a product. Most of the California public were not even aware that they had an option to by an electric version of their vehicles (i.e. Electric RAV4, or Ranger, or Epic van) much less even see them on a dealer's lot. No, the car manufacturers didn't want them to sell and did everything in their power to make it look like they were complying, and all along did their best to make sure the program failed. CARB says they didn't want to force the manufacturers to make cars that don't sell, and yet they did make them, and they still sell, if anybody that owns one wants to give one up (most don't).
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