California Electric Car Decision to Spur Introduction of More Grid-charged Vehicles

March 30, 2008 - PRLog -- PAPILLION, Nebraska -- California's Air Resources Board agreed during hearings in Sacramento on March 27, 2008 to triple the number of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) that the six largest auto manufacturers will have to build and sell in the state the three years between 2012 and 2015.  The impact of the Board's decision, headed by Dr. Mary Nichols, will have far-reaching consequences for not only Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan and Toyota, but on drivers well beyond the borders of the Golden State.

CARB, as it is known, agreed to reallocated its complex system of credits for its Phase III (2012-2014) plan to deploy ever-cleaner, greener vehicle technologies from Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEVs) to ZEVs, a class that includes battery-powered cars like the newly launched, $92,000 Tesla Roadster, and state-of-the-art, hydrogen fuel cell cars like Honda's new FCX Clarity, reputed to cost in the neighborhood of $800,000.   In Phase III, the six major carmakers will have to choose to build and sell either type of vehicle to consumers, or they could choose to buy "ZEV credits" from smaller manufacturers like Silicon Valley-based Tesla or Orange Country-based Phoenix who already have highway-capable, battery-powered vehicles in production.

The Air Resources Board will now require carmakers to build a minimum of 7,500 fuel cell vehicles or 12,500 battery electric cars over the three-year period, or some combination thereof.  This is three times the number that the Board's Staff had originally proposed.  How many vehicles each manufacturer will be required to build during Phase III will depend on their percentage of car sales in California prior to 2012.

In addition to the battery and fuel cell vehicles, carmakers will also have to build nearly 60,000 "Enhanced-Advanced Technology PZEVs."  These vehicles comprise a new class of cars known as plug-in hybrids that will have all-electric driving ranges of between 10 and 60 miles. General Motors is hoping to be the first major manufacturer to offer its Volt extended-range electric car that can operate its first 40 miles on battery power only, after which it will operate as a  conventional hybrid.  Driving range on a single tank of fuel is estimated at 640 miles.  

But California's decision is likely to impact drivers as far away as New York State and the Canadian Province of Quebec. Some thirteen states have voted to adapt much of California's clean vehicle regulations once the U.S. EPA grants California a waiver on its request to implement it own, much more stringent air pollution regulations for motor vehicles, of which the ZEV mandate is an integral part.  In effect, ARB's March 27th decisions could ultimately impact car buying choices for an estimated 40% of the U.S. market.  

Increasing public pressure, combined with technological advances, is propelling a dramatic shift away from petroleum-fueled vehicles to electrically-driven models. There are now at least a score of commercial electric car programs in development from established large manufacturer to small, but aggressive start-ups like Fisker and AFS Trinity.  More than 60 teams have now entered the newly-announced, $10 million Progressive Insurance X Prize competition, the goal of which is to demonstrate production-ready cars that will get the equivalent of 100 mpg (2.35 liters/100 km).  Virtually all of these programs will rely heavily on electric drive systems.

To help identify future plug-in car buyer interest and expectations, Plugin.EVWorld.Com has established the first-of-its-kind on-line survey to collect data that will ultimate be shared with both the public and carmakers to help speed the deployment of the kinds of vehicles buyers will want to drive.  The one-page survey, which is found at http://plugin.evworld.com, can be completed in less than a minute and asks respondents to select the types of plug-in models in which they are most interested.  It also asks them where they plan to charge the vehicles and what voltage circuits are available at that location.  It asked them to choose which options they'd like to see in these vehicles, such as do they want it to be capable of running on biofuel or be able provide electric power back to the home during a power outage?

Respondents who complete the survey are offered a free, downloadable gift  worth $10 as a token of appreciation.

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About EV World: Located in Papillion, Nebraska, EVWORLD.COM is a leading Internet information portal focused on "Driving the Future in Motion."  This year it celebrates its 10th anniversary of providing up-to-the-minute news and information about the wide-world of electric vehicles from Segways to fuel cell submarines.  In October, 2007, the New York Times chose it as one of the Top-Ten No-Hype Hybrid vehicle news sites on the Internet.  The publication serves more than a 500,000 IP sessions monthly, delivering nearly two million page views to a global audience. It also offers a free weekly email newsletter.

Website: www.evworld.com