California steps backward - scientists concerned
California is looking into softening requirements that force car makers to produce at least 25,000 zero-emission vehicles between 2012 and 2014. It has been proposed to lower the bar to 7,500. However, as a compensation a new requirement will be added which forces car manufacturers to produce 58,000 plug-in hybrids.
According to the news release at the website of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) "plug-in hybrids can dramatically reduce pollution and oil consumption, but are not a long-term substitute for pure zero emission vehicles such as battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. A UCS analysis concluded that even with widespread acceptance of plug-in hybrids, the state would need 379,000 pure zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2020 to be on a path to meet the its long-term global warming pollution reduction target."
Have a look at the full article
here.
On the UCS website you will also find the report 'A new vision for California's zero emission vehicles' (produced by the California Air Resources Board), as well as the full UCS response.
Download PDF version of this page