Comment Log Display

23 May 2008
To;  California Air Resources Board
Re:  March 27 Hearing on Modifications to Zero Emissions Vehicle
Regulation.

My family currently drives two Zero Emission Electric Vehicles
that were made available by major automakers earlier this decade
to meet California's Zero Emission Vehicle Regulation. Like many
other electric vehicle drivers, our cars are powered by
electricity from our roof top solar array with no emissions at
all.  Unfortunately due to weakening of this regulation in 2003,
this option has not been available to California consumer's for
several years.

It seems that the Air Resources Board is taking the position that
the Zero Emissions Vehicle program should be viewed as a research
program, rather than as it was originally intended, to put a
significant number of zero emissions vehicles on California roads.
 Much has changed since 1990, but the stakes are now higher, not
lower, than they were at the program’s inception.   Increasing
numbers of vehicles as well as increases in vehicle size and power
have undermined reductions in tailpipe emissions, and our increased
understanding of global warming emissions has led to new efforts at
both the state and federal level to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions.

The ZEV regulations should be the cornerstone of California’s
efforts to change our transportation fuel use in ways that benefit
our economy, the health of the public, and the environment, but
CARB’s recent efforts seem intended to relegate it to the
sidelines of our regulatory efforts.  The experience of thousands
of electric vehicle drivers over the last decade, has shown that
what is needed is not research and development, but initiation of
limited volume production in order to decrease materials costs and
increase consumer acceptance.  Unfortunately CARB’s suggested
modifications will further delay progress in this vital area.

I am asking the board to direct staff to modify the proposed
regulatory changes to: 
1. Require the full 25,000 ZEVs that automakers had promised for
2012-2014, and
2. Create a separate requirement for plug-in hybrids that lets
them replace the dirtiest vehicles in CARB's regulations, rather
than the cleanest ZEVs.

It's time that every Californian has the choice that my family
had, to drive emission free.

Mike Kane
2318 Heather Lane
Newport Beach, CA  92660