Last week, Bloomberg Business profiled the one woman who may have more influence in the automaking universe for the next decade than any other person on the planet.California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols’ story about running the nation’s most stringent air quality standards board is compelling, fascinating and terrifying — if you’re an automaker.The state’s ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gases 80 percent by 2050 is met by an equally ambitious — and onerous — goal for automakers: don’t sell new cars with internal combustion engines in California by 2030.“If the federal government can’t get it right, we in California are going to take care of business,” California Governor Jerry Brown said in an April speech.Brown tabbed Nichols to run the air quality board during his first stint as California governor in the late 1970s and then rehired her when he was elected to the position again a … [Read more...] about The California Air Resources Board, the Automakers, and You
California
California Roads Bill May Be The Future Of US Road Funding
California electric vehicle drivers may pay $100 more in registration fees each year under a proposed bill that aims to raise $3.6 billion each year through gas taxes and fees that would repair and maintain California’s roads, according to the Associated Press (via Autoblog).The proposed fees would be a sweeping reform to transportation funding that would increase California’s gas taxes by $0.10 per gallon, add $35 to vehicle registrations and increase vehicle fees by 35 percent over five years.Already, gas and oil companies are lining up against the proposal.Coupled with California’s aggressive plan to cut emissions, the increased taxes and fees could be how many states cope with more electric cars on the road and better fuel economy.California Governor Jerry Brown reportedly struck the deal to help raise money for more than $100 billion in needed road improvements in the state.Included in the bill is tying the state’s gas taxes to inflation to fight rising … [Read more...] about California Roads Bill May Be The Future Of US Road Funding
Auto Alliance Kills Aggressive California Gas Bill
California’s ambitious climate change bill was stripped Wednesday night of its toughest provision that would have cut the state’s gasoline consumption 50 percent by 2030, Automotive News is reporting.A pared down version of California’s wide-rangning transportation bill will reach Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk, but won’t include the gas target nor a plan to fix California’s roads.The controversial bill was met last month by an automotive lobby that flooded the state with advertisements and money to combat the provisions.“Oil has won the skirmish. But they’ve lost the bigger battle,” Brown said, according to the LA Times. “Because I am more determined than ever.”Brown said that he would fight for the plan to cut gas consumption later during his term. He also called for a special session to address California’s roads after his plan to raise $3.6 billion through increased fees and gas taxes failed to … [Read more...] about Auto Alliance Kills Aggressive California Gas Bill
California Revives HOV Lane Stickers For Plug-In Hybrids
Last September saw the end of the availability of 55,000 HOV lane stickers for California’s plug-in hybrids – but another slate has been able available.Cars Direct reports that as of January 1st, another 15,000 stickers have been made available for plug-in vehicles. According to their report, HOV lane access is a big reason for purchasing a plug-in High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane access continues to be one of the top motivators for purchasing plug-in hybrids according to the Center for Sustainable Energy. Perhaps this isn’t surprising, however: who wouldn’t want the power to move in and out of the carpool lane and have a shorter commute? With gas prices at record lows, the HOV lane stickers are an easy way to goose sales of environmentally friendly vehicles. … [Read more...] about California Revives HOV Lane Stickers For Plug-In Hybrids
2015 Camaro RS Convertible Rental Review – California Rental Barge
I come to bury the old Camaro, not to praise it.In the past few years, I’ve had a chance to drive a variety of the more powerful and competent fifth-gens on and off track, including the mighty Z/28. None of them ever struck me as being more interesting or enjoyable than their Mustang or even Challenger equivalents. At best, the old Camaro was a lousy car that could really do the business on a racetrack. At worst… well, it’s what you see here.I needed to take a quick weekday trip to California recently and Hertz happened to be offering a “Chrysler 200 Convertible or similar” for the same price as an Impala. This seemed like a no-brainer — after all, the first thing Ohio hicks like myself want to do when we get to the best coast is to drop the top. Real California natives only use their convertible tops at night and in the rarest of circumstances. It’s the tourists that find the sight of an unclouded sun in November to be sooooo fascinating.When … [Read more...] about 2015 Camaro RS Convertible Rental Review – California Rental Barge
California University First In State Certified To Sell Hydrogen
Cal State L.A. now has the first hydrogen fueling station in California certified to sell the fuel by the kilogram.The university’s Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility received its approval this month after undergoing and passing “a rigorous state performance evaluation.” The fueling station, which opened in May 2014, is the largest on-campus hydrogen fueling station in the United States, and produces hydrogen from solar and wind power.Cal State president William A. Covino said the station not only plays “a crucial role in helping situate California as a national leader in zero emission vehicles,” but gives the university a chance to work on “cutting-edge research and technology initiatives with government agencies” on its path to improving air quality in Los Angeles and other cities in the U.S.Visitors to the station include prototypes from the likes of Audi, Hyundai and General Motors, whose tanks can hold up to six kilograms of hydrogen, … [Read more...] about California University First In State Certified To Sell Hydrogen
California Air Resources Board Delays Review of Volkswagen’s Diesel Fix
The California Air Resources Board told Volkswagen on Friday that it would take three more weeks to review the automaker’s proposed fix for its 2-liter diesel engines after the automaker added “significant” information to its plan, according to a letter sent by regulators.The letter indicated that Volkswagen had submitted “additional significant information” to the board Dec. 14-16 regarding its proposed fixes for its illegally polluting cars and that the board would take until Jan. 14 to review that additional data. On Nov. 20, Volkswagen submitted its plan to CARB to fix more than 482,000 cars in the U.S., which could have been approved as early as Dec. 22.It’s unclear from the letter what the additional information from Volkswagen may be. The automaker didn’t immediately comment on the letter.According to the letter, Volkswagen submitted a request Dec. 15 to extend submission of its recall plan to the board. CARB officials said they … [Read more...] about California Air Resources Board Delays Review of Volkswagen’s Diesel Fix
California Legislature Considering Sales Tax Reduction For Clean Vehicles
Live in California and looking for more money in your wallet upon purchasing a green vehicle? The state’s legislature just might make that wish come true.The Los Angeles Times reports a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Phil Ting of San Francisco would reduce the sales tax on so-called clean vehicles from 7.5 percent to 3.06 percent. The reduction would be applied to EVs, PHEVs, FCVs and CNG-powered models.Should the legislation become law, over $92 million in tax revenue would disappear between 2016 and 2020, when the law rides off into the sunset; the figure is based on 60,000 PHEVs and EVs sold in 2014 for the national average transaction price of $34,725 per vehicle. Said revenue could be regained through California’s cap-and-trade carbon emissions credits program, currently holding $969 million as of February 18 per the California Air Resources Board.The bill, which failed in 2013 due to funding concerns amid a shaky economic environment, will go through the committee … [Read more...] about California Legislature Considering Sales Tax Reduction For Clean Vehicles
Tesla Battery Swap Pilot Status Tied To California ZEV Credits
Tesla’s battery swap pilot program in Harris Ranch, Calif. may never leave the pilot phase, thanks to how California handles ZEV credits.The Los Angeles Times reports Tesla earned $66 million in Q4 2014 from selling credits to automakers needing to offset their carbon footprints. Each credit was the result of the Model S’ classification as a Type 4 or Type 5 (based on battery size) vehicle by the California Air Resources Board — Type 5 involving vehicles with a range of 300 miles and can be refueled in less than 15 minutes — Tesla earning five to nine credits for every S sold as a result of the classification.However, the sedan was knocked down to a Type 3 after CARB restructured its system for MY 2014 and beyond, basing earnings on “actual fueling events” regarding the fast-refueling credit. Thus, every S sold now earns Tesla four credits, except when it comes time to swap the battery pack. There, one S can have its pack swapped 25 times, with the … [Read more...] about Tesla Battery Swap Pilot Status Tied To California ZEV Credits
Unfixable Volkswagen Diesels Could Keep Living the California Dream
There’s a chance that older Volkswagen TDI models branded as pollution monsters in the ongoing diesel emissions scandal could keep rolling along the avenues and alleyways of the Golden State.On March 8, California’s air regulator floated the idea that diesels that can’t fully be brought back into compliance with state laws might get a pass, according to Reuters.Tod Sax, chief of the California Air Resources Board’s enforcement division, admitted that bringing every one of the state’s approximately 82,000 afflicted diesels up to code is probably not possible.“We will have to decide what the best approach is to dealing with these vehicles, and one of the options potentially would be to accept something less than a full fix,” Sax said at a legislative hearing.Newer TDI models that use the urea-based diesel exhaust fluid AdBlue might be able to get by with software tweaks alone, but older models that rely on lean NOx traps (LNTs) would … [Read more...] about Unfixable Volkswagen Diesels Could Keep Living the California Dream