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This report should include a discussion of photovoltaic (PV)
electricity production for batteries.

A power source with no direct emissions from energy production
(except maybe the production/distribution/installation of the PV
panel) should be given high credits for meeting current and
accelerated ZEV requirements.

The predicted NiMH batttery price for production levels above
100,000 does not seem to me at all challenging to many
middle-income consumers when you consider several other related
market conditions.

The first of these conditions is the widely reported low
maintenance costs of battery electric vehicles.  This means lower
total costs to consumers, especially when gasoline prices will
continue to rise.  Moreover, informed observers have noted that GM
and Ford are trapped by their market relationships to dealers,
based on decisions made decades ago.  Dealers of course make good
money providing maintenance, and this income stream may be
threatened by low-maintenance, consumer-friendly vehicles.  Thus,
industry’s protestations of inability to manufacture or sell more
than 100,000 vehicles may be based on non-technological
difficulties.

The second of these conditions is the apparent availability of
increasing production of PV panels and decreasing prices as volume
and knowledge increase (even with some cost increases in raw
materials).  Again, this compares favorably to inevitably rising
costs of fossil fuels.  Some research into this market, and its
technological and economics prospects, would pertain to the future
of BEVs, FPZEVs, or whatever you want to call them.

Other major conditions are the worldwide prospects of declining
supplies of fossil fuels, of dangerous global climate change
induced by past, present and future use of fossil fuels, and of
the unnecessary risks of reviving nuclear powerplant construction
(not least of which is very large fossil fuel requirements for
mining, etc.).  Recent substantial increases in public awareness
of some or all of these dangerous challenges have I believe
greatly increased consumer interest in non-combustion energy
sources, and thus also consumer acceptance of new solutions and
new cost structures.  Industry protestations of lack of consumer
interest should be viewed with great skepticism.