Search Results Found For: "California Air Resources Board"

Some tough questions for automakers about fuel cells

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs) are not the future – they’re here. The 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell has been available for lease since June. Toyota’s offering is scheduled to go on sale a year from now, followed by Honda’s in 2016 (all of these will initially be sold only in California). Many EV experts are… Read more »

US plug-in sales break 250,000 as National Drive Electric Week kicks off

US plug-in vehicle sales have surpassed the quarter-million mark, just in time for National Drive Electric Week, September 15-21. Sales have increased by a healthy percentage every year since the Volt and LEAF went on the market at the end of 2010. 2014 sales total 76,799 so far, on track to handily beat 2013’s figure… Read more »

Chinese and US policymakers cooperate to spur EV adoption

The University of California, Davis, and the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) have agreed to work together to establish the China-US ZEV Policy Lab, a research institution for US and Chinese ZEV/new energy vehicle policies. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) will co-chair the new… Read more »

Are auto dealers the EV’s worst enemy?

It’s safe to say that car dealers aren’t a particularly beloved bunch. Shopping for a car may not be as bad as going to the dentist, but for many people, it’s right up there. Technically-minded buyers find it frustrating to try to glean some factual information from the typical rambling sales pitch, while more gentle… Read more »

ZEV regulations may be modified to provide more flexibility for smaller automakers

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is considering amendments to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulation that would relax the requirements for Intermediate Volume Manufacturers (IVMs) by giving them additional time and allowing them to pool compliance obligations in the 10 ZEV states. As defined by ARB, an IVM is any manufacturer with California sales… Read more »

CARB funds new round of plug-in incentives

The California Air Resources Board has approved a funding plan for fiscal year 2014-15 that includes several new and renewed incentives for advanced vehicle technologies. The $222 million pot of money includes $200 million from ARB’s cap-and-trade program. The agency is required by law to invest a portion of proceeds in disadvantaged communities. “Action taken… Read more »

Tesla battery swapping: dead, or just delayed?

It was one year ago that Tesla introduced its battery swapping technology in a theatrical presentation, with lights flashing and music thumping. At the time, Elon Musk said that the company planned to make swapping available as soon as the end of 2013, and eventually install the capability at every Supercharger station.  In early 2014… Read more »

Eight states announce major EV incentives

As the Charge Ahead California Initiative advances in the state legislature, seven other states have announced their own packages of pro-EV incentives. The collective goal is to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. The eight-state coalition, consisting of California, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont, released an… Read more »

Report: The effects of fuel economy and emissions regulations on the automotive sector

By Jeffrey Wishart, a Senior Project Engineer at Intertek, conducts research and development on products and services in the areas of energy, the environment, and advanced transportation. In addition to his supervisory position at Intertek, Dr. Wishart worked for several years at ETEC LABS (the research and consulting division of ECOtality) and at a utility company… Read more »