https://transportevolved.com/2014/10/21/california-air-resources-board-hold-hearing-week-softening-zero-emission-requirements/ California Air Resources Board to Hold Hearing This Week on Softening Zero-Emission Requirements October 21, 2014 By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
[image https://d2v41vkldk04pc.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/fiat-500e-580x374.jpg The Fiat 500e is one 'compliance car' built to satisfy current CARB regulations. ] The state of California has, for a long time, been one of the most supportive states of plug-in and zero-emission vehicles. Thanks to the state’s tough Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, requiring automakers to make and sell a set percentage of zero emission vehicles in order to sell within the state, California also has the largest choice of zero emission electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and plug-in hybrid cars on sale anywhere in the U.S. But a meeting to be held later this week by the California Air Resources Board — the body responsible for protecting California’s air quality and setting emissions targets for everything from transportation to heavy industry within the state — could mark a step backwards on California’s path to a zero emission future. As GreenCarReports’ John Voelcker explains, CARB is due to hold a hearing this week which would change its 2012 Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate for what’s known as intermediate volume manufacturers. For those who don’t know, that’s automakers who sell more than a total of 13,500 vehicles in a consecutive three-year period but less than 60,000 vehicles in a three-year period. Under current regulations, any automaker which produces and sells more than 10,000 cars for the California market must earn a specific percentage of zero emission vehicle credits in order to sell cars in California. The ZEV credits — which can be purchased from other automakers or earned by producing a certain number of zero emission vehicles — are then used to offset the sales of non-ZEV cars. Most importantly, the ZEVs must be completely free from emissions, so only 100 percent electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles apply. This regulation has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of zero emission vehicles made and sold in California, and while automakers that sell less than 60,000 vehicles in a three year period in California are required to only meet 60 percent of the total ZEV credits mandated of larger-scale manufacturers, there’s still a requirement that some zero emission vehicles are made. But CARB’s proposed change would allow intermediate volume manufacturers like Jaguar Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Volvo to name a few would no-longer be required to produce any Zero Emission Vehicles to comply with CARB regulation. Instead, the proposed change would allow those automakers to use Transitional Zero-Emission Vehicles (TZEVs) to meet their required quota. [image] The proposed changes would allow automakers like Mitsubishi to satisfy CARB regulations with a plug-in hybrid alone. Unlike ZEVs, TZEVs can produce some emissions, meaning intermediate volume manufacturers could focus on producing plug-in hybrid vehicles rather than pure electric or hydrogen fuel-cell cars. It’s worth noting at this point that Mitsubishi, and Volvo both have plans to bring plug-in hybrids to the U.S. in the coming year, while Land Rover and Subaru have already promised plug-in hybrid models will be coming in the near future. With the exception of it Mitsubishi, not one sells a 100% electric car in the U.S. at the time of writing, and even Mitsubishi’s all-electric i-Miev is struggling to reach high sales volumes. This hearing comes at a very important time for the auto industry and for California, since under the 2012 regulations, the total percentage of plug-in vehicles produced by large and intermediate volume manufacturers was due to rise from 2015, with mainstream brands like Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Chrysler and General Motors charged with producing a total of 25,000 Zero Emission Vehicles per year from next year, up from the 7,500 annual requirement from 2014. Those targets rise again in 2018. But the proposed changes could actually drop the total number of ZEVs needed under Californian law. The meeting, which is due to take place on Thursday this week, will convene at 9am local time at the auditorium of the South Coast Air Quality Management District in Diamond Bar, California. [© transportevolved.com] http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1094967_changes-to-ca-rules-may-cut-zero-emission-vehicle-requirement Changes To CA Rules May Cut Zero-Emission Vehicle Requirement By John Voelcker Oct 16, 2014 [image] 2015 Nissan Leaf California's rules requiring six automakers to sell specified numbers of zero-emission vehicles starting in 2012 have had a substantial impact. But a meeting to be held one week from today may determine whether required volumes of emission-free cars--likely battery-electric vehicles--are cut for a second group of automakers. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will hold a hearing on proposed changes to its 2012 zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate for what are called Intermediate Vehicle Makers: Why pay attention to arcane changes in a single state's rules? Largely because it will affect how many battery-electric cars are offered three to five years hence. [image] 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV - First Drive, Portland, July 2013 While the Nissan Leaf electric car sells in high volume, five other automakers have been pushed into offering at least small numbers of so-called compliance cars. Those cars--the Chevrolet Spark EV, Fiat 500e, Honda Fit EV, Toyota RAV4 EV, and arguably the Ford Focus Electric as well--have given their makers experience with the nuts and bolts of building and selling battery-electric vehicles. Large vs intermediate makers Those six makers are known as the Large Vehicle Makers, because they are the six highest-selling car companies in the state of California. While CARB fixed the volumes of zero-emission vehicles at the same level from 2012 through 2017, the numbers start to rise sharply from 2018 through 2025. More importantly, the new group of intermediate vehicle makers (IVMs) has to sell ZEVs for the first time. [image] Land Rover Range_e diesel plug-in hybrid The changes proposed by the agency follow roughly two years of discussion between CARB staff and the affected automakers, who include Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Volvo. Plug-in hybrids rather than electric cars The intermediate makers have argued essentially that their smaller size and more limited resources make developing battery-electric vehicles much harder. While they could also purchase ZEV credits--from Tesla Motors, which has no emitting vehicles to offset, or perhaps from Nissan--it's not clear that this would allow them to meet the full requirements for 2018 through 2025. Broadly, the proposed modifications let the IVMs meet their requirements using Transitional Zero-Emission Vehicles (TZEVs) rather than pure ZEVs. What CARB calls TZEVs are better known to consumers as plug-in hybrids. [image] Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Concept-S, 2014 Paris Auto Show Plug-in hybrid SUVs coming While only Mitsubishi now has a plug-in hybrid on the market--its long-delayed Outlander Plug-In Hybrid mid-size SUV--Jaguar Land Rover has announced it will offer plug-in hybrid powertrains in two of its Range Rover SUVs as well. Volvo, too, has a plug-in hybrid wagon on the market in Europe and will soon offer its new 2016 XC90 large SUV with a T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid option. That leaves Mazda and Subaru as the two makers with no known plug-in hybrid vehicles on the horizon. [© 2014 Green Car Reports] ... [dated] http://www.teslamotors.com/de_AT/node/3940 CARB Must Reject Staff Recommendation to Weaken ZEV Mandate 24. März 2008 ... http://evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=536 ' ... CARB meeting in April 2003, the board approved amendments to drastically reduce the number of ZEVs ...' ... http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/consumer/autos/mauto661.htm California may soften electric car mandate By James R. 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