Air Regulator Proposes Dramatic Step Up in EV Requirements

California air pollution control regulators plan to require automakers to sell nothing but electric, fuel cell, and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the state by 2035. Today, 16% of the cars sold in California are electric.

With little fanfare, the California Air Resources Board introduced the 229-page regulatory proposal April 13 for comment. It plans to hold a public hearing on the measure June 9.

The proposal comes amid promises by automakers to dramatically increase the number of electric vehicles they will produce in the years ahead. It builds on automotive standards for light-duty passenger vehicles originally set by the board in 2012 to drive an increase in zero emissions models through 2025.

Some environmentalists cheered CARB’s move.

“Strong standards will place even more electric cars and trucks in the showroom and increase access to technologies that will get us on the freeway to a cleaner, healthier future,” said Kathy Harris, Natural Resources Defense Council clean vehicle and fuels advocate.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an international trade group of auto manufacturers, offered no immediate comment on this week’s development.

Under the proposal, CARB aims to see that 35% of cars sold in the state are zero emissions vehicles (either electric or hydrogen-powered fuel cell models) by 2026. The standard then would dramatically ramp up the requirement to 100% by 2035. The proposal also would set standards to clean up medium-duty vehicles, which generally are trucks.

Regulators said their proposal is necessary for the state to achieve federal health standards for air quality by 2037 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 50% of which come from vehicles.

Minimum driving ranges

Under the proposed standards, CARB will specify minimum driving ranges for the various models of zero emissions vehicles. Battery-powered electric vehicles, for instance, would have to get a minimum of 150 miles on a charge. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles would have to be able to go at least 40 miles using only their batteries and electric motors before burning gasoline in their onboard internal combustion engines.

CARB’s proposal also sets minimum warranty standards for propulsion system components and envisions a used electric car market that would allow low-income drivers to purchase electric cars.

The plan, according to regulators, will cost businesses an average of $2 billion a year and reduce the number of new jobs formed in the state by about 40,000. Most of those jobs will be in the retail and government sectors, because of reduced gasoline taxes and sales of gasoline. However, the standards are expected to save drivers $5.9 billion a year, predominantly on gasoline, as well as deliver public health benefits.