2011 Zero Emission Vehicle Credits

Manufacturer Volume Status

The ZEV Regulation requires large volume and intermediate volume vehicle manufacturers to bring to and operate in California a certain percent of ZEVs (such as battery electric and fuel cell vehicles), clean plug-in hybrids, clean hybrids and clean gasoline vehicles with near-zero tail pipe emissions.  The table below lists the 2011 vehicle manufacturers subject to the ZEV requirements.

Manufacturer Requirement

A vehicle manufacturer’s ZEV requirement is based on a percentage of all passenger cars and light-duty trucks from 0 to 8,500 pounds (lbs.), delivered for sale in California.  The table below is the 2011 California vehicle production of large volume and intermediate volume manufacturers.

Manufacturer Transfers

Manufacturers may transfer credits between manufacturers and third parties.  Below are the ZEV credits transferred between October 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do these credit balances mean?
All vehicle manufacturers subject to the ZEV Regulation are in compliance through model year 2011.  The positive credit balances represent a successful over compliance with the ZEV Regulation.  Manufacturers can use these balances to provide flexibility in the timing and production of bringing new clean cars to the market to meet the ZEV requirements in coming years.

How far into the future do these credit balances cover the manufacturers’ ZEV requirement?
Each manufacturer is unique in its strategy of compliance with the ZEV Regulation.  It is not possible to predict how and when these credit balances will be spent over the coming years due to the complexity and flexibility of the regulation.  There are also various mechanisms in the ZEV Regulation which limit how credits are spent.  These balances will be taken into account in future amendments to the regulation. 

How do you calculate a manufacturer’s requirement?
For understanding the calculations involved in the ZEV Regulation, please see the ZEV Tutorial link below.

Why are credit balances in units of grams/mile Non-Methane Organic Gases (g/mile NMOG)?
When credits are earned they are multiplied by the g/mile NMOG fleet average requirement for the appropriate model year.  Please note that in the ZEV Regulation g/mi NMOG is used only as index (which decreases over time)—it is the “currency” that credits are stored in and does not represent actual values of g/mi NMOG.  The intent of this multiplier was to reward early production of vehicles.

How many vehicles have been brought to and operated in California as a result of the ZEV Regulation?
A total of over 2.5 million vehicles including approximately 370 fuel cell vehicles, 10,000 battery electrics, 28,900 NEVs, 450,000 clean hybrids and 2 million clean gasoline vehicles.  These numbers represent vehicles through model year 2011.

More Information

• ZEV Regulation
• ZEV Tutorial
• ZEV Credit Archive
• MAC 2011-02:  Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Credit Reporting and Tracking System
• NMOG table from California Code of Regulations, Title 13, Section 1961(b)(1)(A)

Contact Us

For more information please contact the Office of Communications at (916) 322-2990 or (800) 242-4450.