New CARB regulations could see three million EVs on U.S roads by 2025
By Gavin Conway on January 30, 2012 2:05 PM
As California does, so does the rest of the world. It was the first U.S. State to introduce a regulatory body to improve air quality, particularly with regard to car exhaust emissions, and traditionally California’s rules on emissions have been tougher than anywhere else in the U.S.
As history has shown, the rest of the country eventually follows suit. And it wouldn’t be a stretch to say the fact that virtually all new passenger cars sold in the world are equipped with catalytic converters is partly thanks to California law.
So policies approved on Friday by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are a really big deal – California will mandate that 15.4% of new vehicles sold in the state must be zero tailpipe emission by 2025. That means pure-electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell. And that could mean up to 1.4 million electrically powered vehicles on California roads by 2025.
The plan was voted unanimously by the powerful CARB, and includes provision for development of hydrogen fuelling infrastructure throughout the state.
Perhaps surprisingly, the new rules are supported by virtually all major carmakers. There have been concerns about the additional cost of EVs and subsequent reluctance to purchase on the part of consumers, but officials broadly hint that rebates and incentives will make that less of an issue.
According to the new rules, carmakers will be required to sell ever-increasing numbers of EVs from 2018, until the 15.4% target is met by 2025.
Much more significantly, up to ten other states are expected to adopt California’s new rules, which could see up to three million EVs on American roads by 2025.
The UK already has significant CO2 targets to meet. In March last year, Professor Jim Skea OBE from the Committee on Climate Change told TheChargingPoint.com that to meet targets, by 2030 60% of all vehicles sold in the UK will need to be electric, plug-in hybrid or hyrdrogen-powered. It’s a target he described as “challenging” – read more and watch our video interview with Prof Skea here.