Commentary: California Drives Investment in Cleaner Cars
And the results are good for everyone, according to State Senator Fran Pavley.
Last week, the California Air Resources Board passed a new package of Advanced Clean Car rules continuing California’s leadership in auto technology.
It is rare that a regulatory action will result in such a big win for the economy, consumers, national security and the environment.
Simply put, cleaner cars will save money and drive job creation.
As the original author of California’s landmark clean car law that now serves as our national standard, the Advanced Clean Car standards will help clean our air, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, ensure automakers have the certainty they need to create jobs and save consumers money at the pump.
According to the Air Resources Board, by 2025 you will see nearly $6,000 in fuel savings over the life of your, nearly triple the estimated per vehicle cost. Based on typical financing for a new vehicle, savings accrue the minute the car drives off the lot.
California’s commitment to Advanced Clean Cars is good for U.S. auto companies competing in the increasing demands of the global clean car marketplace, as well as national consumer demands.
The adopted rules ensure the development of environmentally superior vehicles in a full range of models from SUV’s, pick-up trucks as well as compact cars. These rules combine new control of greenhouse gases, soot and other pollutants in both gasoline and diesel powered vehicles.
The California Air Resources Board economic analysis indicates some of the benefits of the new rules:
• Savings of $5 billion in operating costs for California drivers by 2025 – which rises to $10 billion in 2030 when more advanced cars are on the road
• 1.4 million zero-emission and plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road by 2025
• An additional 21,000 jobs in clean car related jobs in California in 2025, raising to 37,000 in 2030.
• 75% reduction in smog forming emissions by 2025.
• Reduction of 52 million tons of greenhouse gases by 2025, the equivalent of taking ten million cars off the road.
California has, and will continue to lead the world in creating markets for cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars. In fact, California is now the home to three innovative electric car companies bringing in revenue and creating new jobs.
Clean cars are reviving American car manufacturers and their ability to compete and succeed in the global economy.
Our first effort helped the Obama Administration to adopt a truly historic agreement to increase fuel economy and set the nation’s first greenhouse gas standard for new passenger cars and light trucks. California is raising the bar to help the U.S. remain the global clean car technology innovator and manufacturer.
Once again, California is leading the way in economic and environmental sustainability.
–State Senator Fran Pavley
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State Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) is of the Chair of the State Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. Senator Pavley authored Assembly Bill 1493 (2002), which created California’s first advanced clean car standards and became the national standard.
William Brady
7:46 am on Saturday, February 4, 2012
This is an over simplification of this important & controversial issue. Fran says; "California has, and will continue to lead the world in creating markets for cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars".REALLY ? There is no such thing as a zero emission vehicle! The gases produced by electric vehicles are far more dangerous and corrosive than those produced by petroleum vehicles. Furthermore, the process used to produce the electricity to charge the battery systems has its own environmental costs. The hybrid vehicle movement is simply a tool allowing manufacturers to offset the pollution/fuel usage of their main product, heavy fuel consumption vehicles! I am a *Greenie*, I recycle everything, I conserve as much as possible by not wasting resources. Our trash collection bin is NEVER used. The one plastic bag we produce is dropped in our neighbours full bin! The Landrover we use as a secondary/ weekend short distance vehicle gets 12 MPG yet passes the smog test easily. Our 1992 Mazda Protege we have driven for 15 years and over 200.000 miles gets a constant 39 MPG, yet it has failed the smog test twice. Many other countries have no smog test but produce cars which achieve over 70 MPG using bio diesel. We need to get real about saving the environment, make smaller, lighter, recyclable vehicles which achieve high MPG and get rid of the complete wasteful smog test bureaucracy. Unfortunately, we are, for the most part, unwilling to change our wasteful lifestyle.
Sean McCarthy
1:52 pm on Saturday, February 4, 2012
While I respect her Senator and her good intentions I believe she is mistaken in the savings to the consumer and that clean technology will stimulate the economy.
Increasing fuel efficiency ignores the state of automobile technology. Developing and deploying new fuel saving technology requires large amounts of money for R & D money. What new taxes and highway fees will we pay to provide tax incentives for car makers to develop new clean air technology?
The automobile manufacturers will likely have to build lighter automobiles which are great on millage but increase the risk of passenger fatalities in the event of collisions or rollover accidents.
It is unlikely there will be savings on gasoline. Since the prime motivation is to modify our behavior like we do with taxes meant to stop smoking or eating fatty food, the legislature will raise taxes as a source of revenue in the name of clean air. Therefor it is unlikely there will be a savings long term on gasoline expense.
Finally, for better or worse, unemployment is an unavoidable byproduct of innovation. The more we rely on technology to repair and maintain our cars the lower the demand for people to fix cars.
I support Senator Pavley's goal of clean air but promoting new rules in the depth of the worst recession in 80 years is not the appropriate time to impose new rules on the auto industry because of the ripple effect. Remember, 12% of Californians are already out of work.