California, nation's leader in cleaner cars, faces big decision
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
March 30, 2000
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The future of electric cars in the United States could well be determined when California decides whether to pursue -- or to back away from -- a requirement for pollution-free vehicles.
The state's Air Resources Board is to decide this fall whether to keep, modify or drop a rule requiring that up to 10 percent of new cars and light trucks sold in the state have zero emissions. The rule would affect all automakers selling at least 4,501 new cars a year in the state, and would take effect with 2003 models.
With California the nation's leader in requiring cleaner cars, environmentalists and health groups expect a major campaign by auto companies to overturn or weaken the requirement. It has been scaled back twice already.
"It's going to be an environmental litmus test, an indication how green this administration is," said Roland Hwang, transportation program director for the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The Air Resources Board chairman, Alan Lloyd, is committed to the zero-emission requirement, spokesman Jerry Martin said. But others seem more willing to make changes.
"Until such time as the general public feels comfortable with the range of the vehicle, our attempts to get more of them on the road are going to be hampered," said board member Joseph Calhoun.
The rule would require that thousands of the cars or light trucks be battery-powered electric vehicles, though manufacturers could meet up to 60 percent of the requirement with low-emission cars. Five of Nissan's super-low-polluting Sentras, for example, would count as one zero-emission vehicle.
The decision has implications for at least three other states -- New York, Massachusetts and Vermont -- that have matched California's requirement. Texas is considering whether to adopt the mandate.
The federal Clean Air Act gives states the choice of following federal emission requirements or adopting California's tougher standards.
"California is the mother ship," said Jason Grumet, executive director of Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use management, which represents air pollution control officials in eight Northeastern states. "When California makes a major programmatic change, then other states are obliged to also make those revisions or rejoin the federal program."
The state has scaled back its zero-emission requirements twice since they were adopted in 1990. Originally, the regulations required that nonpolluting vehicles make up 2 percent of a manufacturer's fleet of new cars starting in 1998, 5 percent in 2001 and 10 percent in 2003.
In 1996, after a campaign by auto and oil companies, the board dropped the 1998 and 2001 requirements. In 1998 it voted to let manufacturers meet part of the 2003 requirement -- up to 6 percent -- by selling "super ultra low-emission vehicles." So far, only the Sentra qualifies.
Steve Douglas, an Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers lobbyist, said that he doesn't know what the industry's position will be, but that electric vehicles have disadvantages that make them tough to sell or lease, such as price and limited range between battery charges.
Automakers would have to produce more than 30,000 electric cars or light trucks to meet the requirement in 2003, about 10 times the number sold or leased in California the past three years, Douglas said.
"I just don't think there's anything close to a market for 30,000 electric vehicles," Douglas said.
Electric-vehicle drivers said they see a role for the vehicles as a family's second car, used for commuting, errands and other short trips.
"I'm not sure they have been marketed properly," said Martha Schwartzmann, a Sacramento lawyer who drives a Honda EV Plus, a compact that holds four people.
She gets 60 to 100 miles between charges and pays $500 a month to lease the car. Her net cost is less because of savings on gas, maintenance and insurance. It costs $1.50 to $2 to recharge an electric vehicle.