Dear CARB,
Thank you for developing a timeline to phaseout sales of light
duty combustion vehicles. Due to the climate emergency, and the
supply chain shocks in the oil market related to the war in
Ukraine, we cannot afford to wait to phase out sales of new
gasoline cars. Any new gas cars sold will lock in dependence on
fossil fuels and volatile supply chains, leaving at the mercy of
dictators like Putin. For that reason, we must increase and
accelerate targets for veihcle electrification. We must set
policies such that by 2026, 50% of all new light-duty vehicle sales
in California are zero-emissions vehicles, and 100% by 2030. The
State of Washington has a similar target, and if Washington can do
it so can we.
To address potential side-effects of this policy, we can make
exceptions for emergency service vehicles like ambulances. We must
pair these policies with investments in EVSE along all of our state
highways, including the remote regions, so folks aren't stranded
there. We must also make sure that public services such as health
care clinics are available in all parts of the state so nobody
needs to drive two hours in an emergency, putting them at risk of a
depleted EV battery. And we must increase investment in public
transit and regional rail services, all across the
state.
Best regards,
Narayan Gopinathan
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