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The big auto companies have no excuse for not developing vehicles
which are more friendly to the environment.

Energy efficient vehicles are popular with consumers. Next time
you go for a drive, just count how many times you see a Toyota
Prius.

ZEV vehicles are technologically viable today. In response to
previous CARB mandates, the big auto makers proved that ZEV
vehicles can be developed and sold in quantity to consumers who
want them. Witness the GM EV-1, the RAV-4 EV and the Chevy S-10
EV. The big auto companies produced these cars, sold them to a
fraction of the consumers who wanted them and did everything in
their power to hide and un-popularize them. This is well
documented in the film "Who Killed the Electric Car." I personally
know people who are still using the RAV4-EV and S-10 EV without any
manufacturer support. These are awesome vehicles, loved by their
owners and in high demand, with used vehicles selling for more
than their original selling prices in many cases.

Recently Tesla Motors has started regular production of a fully
safety-approved, highway-capable EV that has pre-booked orders
approaching the numbers mandated by the watered-down CARB ISOR for
the time period 2012-2014.

   http://www.teslamotors.com/

That a tiny startup company can be ready to produce 1800+ ZEVs in
2009 proves that the big auto companies can easily produce far
more in the 2012-2014 timeframe, even 25,000 seems like too low a
number to really push the auto industry to do their part to
improve air quality and reduce CO2 emissions.

My wife and I will be Tesla owner number 241. We have driven one
of their late evaluation prototype vehicles, and I assure you this
vehicle is quite real. We will gladly replace our Acura NSX-T with
the Tesla Roadster, a high-end sports car that is cost competitive
with gasoline-powered vehicles in the same performance category.

Tesla Motors will use the experience gained from producing this
expensive, low-volume vehicle to design and produce their next
vehicle in the much larger $50,000 to $70,000 sports sedan market
in 2010. I expect they will have a ZEV in the $30,000 price range
shipping upwards of 300,000 vehicles by 2012.

Tesla Motors alone is likely to far exceed CARBs embarrassingly
small demands on the big auto makers. Now is the time to increase
the pressure on the big auto makers rather than reduce the CARB
mandate to less than what the market is clearly already
demanding.

Tesla Motors is just the first of several promising companies to
start regular production of ZEVs. Aptera, Miles Electric, and
Phoenix Electric all have credible plans to produce safe, highway
capable ZEVs in the 2009 to 2010 time frame.

    http://www.aptera.com/details.php
    http://www.milesev.com/
    http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/

Many other companies are working in ZEV market segment, as are
many dedicated enthusiasts who are converting ICE vehicles to ZEV
electric vehicles.

The California Air Resources Board has an opportunity to push the
auto industry toward reasonable environmental progress. Please do
so.

Tom Saxton