Pub. 4 Issue 3

24 C alifornia adopted the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulation in 1990, as part of a fleet- wide emissions reduction regulation that set tailpipe standards for all passenger cars and light-duty trucks. In fact, the ZEV mandate started out as a footnote to a table of emission standards for new cars, stating that a certain percentage of new cars had to have zero emissions by 1998. At the time, it was forecasted that ZEVs would be needed to meet fleet-wide average emission standards that were necessary to meet health-based air quality standards. California has a long history (more than 50 years now) of battling smog and other pollutants that have greatly impacted the state’s health and quality of life. Motor vehicles account for over half of the smog-forming pollutants emitted in the state and regulations to improve vehicle emissions have greatly contributed to reducing the number of unhealthy air days. Similarly, California is committed to reducing climate change emissions. The state is working to reduce climate change emissions from all sectors, especially motor vehicles, which make up the majority of greenhouse gas emissions within the state. There is a provision in the federal Clean Air Act (Section 177) that allows states to adopt California’s motor vehicle standards, which many states have done (New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont). Although the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has adjusted the regulation over the years, California persisted with requiring ZEVs and supporting their market introduction throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. With the ongoing development of ZEVs, automakers have also developed a number of advanced technology vehicles that helped pave the way to greater ZEV commercialization. Starting with super clean gasoline cars, labeled Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEVs), with one-tenth of the emissions of conventional gasoline cars, the evolution towards ZEVs included the introduction of conventional hybrids like the Toyota Prius and plug-in hybrids like the Chevy Volt. All these advancements have led to an even cleaner vehicle fleet and to commercialization of the battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles we see on the market today. Today’s ZEV market includes a mix of plug-in hybrids, battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell electric. Starting in 2018 the ZEV regulation will begin to ramp up the requirement for carmakers to build more and more ZEVs. CARB estimates that about 1 in 10 new cars sold in 2025 will be a ZEV. Growing a market of zero emission vehicles is a big task. Such change is daunting and sometimes difficult to realize. Coupled with the adoption of the ZEV regulation, California began implementing a variety of complimentary policies in support of growing the ZEV market. These programs are focused on building and supporting consumer adoption of ZEVs. The most important areas of focus have been public awareness and outreach, fueling networks and incentives. Working with our fellow ZEV states, CARB is seeing these themes repeated across many of the Northeast states, with joint-outreach programs under development, a state focus on charging station deployment and incentive programs becoming more readily available. Following are a few common questions CARB hears from dealers regarding the ZEV program. The History (And Implementation) Of The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate BY ANALISA BEVAN , ASSISTANT DIVISION CHIEF, CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD