The B2B platform for full-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles: Policy News

Four external experts have provided independent scientific advice on California’s need to revise its Zero Emission Vehicle Regulation (ZEV), the programme requiring specified numbers of ZEVs be sold each year by large manufacturers. The forthcoming revision will shift the focus of the regulation from hybrids to plug-in hybrid and full electric vehicles.

Coming from Advanced Automotive Batteries, the Oakridge National Laboratory, the University of California and the Ohio State University, the scientific review provides useful input to a White Paper on a Preliminary Assessment on the Need for Revisions to the Zero Emission Vehicle Regulation and three supporting documents on the Status of ZEV Technology Commercialization, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis and Complementary Policies.

PHEVs one of the highest-potential emerging technologies

The contribution by the Ohio State University criticises the White Paper for taking the view that plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEVs) will play an important role in the electrification of transportation only in the short-medium term, thus being considered a transient product. “However, PHEVs are collectively considered to be one of the highest-potential emerging consumer product categories of the next few years”, reads the contribution. The author of this contribution further calls upon addressing pressing issues such as:

• Infrastructure: ensuring the existence of charging stations in work locations or shopping areas 

• Financial incentives for consumers, manufactures and utilities: Policies that offer financial incentives to potential ZEVs owners to significantly boost market penetration, such as tax credits to owners/drivers, incentives for battery/fuel cell manufacturers to produce domestically, and rebates to utilities that fuel ZEVs with electricity/hydrogen at lower rates.

• Collaboration between automotive OEMs and utilities: Both entities have a mutual goal of designing Battery Electric Vehicles that exhibit optimal interaction with the grid, ultimately resulting in benefits to all consumers.

Increasing gasoline taxes and new vehicle fuel efficiency requirements

The contribution by Advanced Automotive Batteries recommends the following guidelines for future policies:

• Increasing therequirements for new-vehicle fuel efficiency by about 4% per year, starting at the earliest feasible date and continuing indefinitely

• Initiating a drive to increase gasoline taxes nationally, in collaboration with interested political and environmental lobbying groups

• Enacting policies to accelerate the“greening” of California’s electrical transmission grids, and

• Providing some incentives for the early introduction of EVs and fuel cell vehicles provided they are matched with measurable progress in drastically reducing the carbon footprint of the energy source (electricity or hydrogen).

ZEV review: shifting the focus from hybrids to plug-in hybrids and full electric

According to the white paper, very low emitting conventional gasoline vehicles (partial zero emission vehicles or PZEVs) and hybrids such as the Prius (advanced technology partial zero emission vehicles or AT PZEVs) have been commercialised and are being sold by most vehicle manufacturers in growing volumes. Hence, California is now considering to remove PZEV and AT PZEV technologies from the scope of the ZEV programme as of model years 2014 and 2017 respectively. Following the set dates, these technologies will be considered in setting the stringency of Future Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) performance-based emission standards. This means that as of 2017 manufacturers will not be able to meet the required numbers of ZEVs sold each year by selling partial ZEVs (such as hybrids) but rather only ZEVs such as full electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric, fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles.

Next steps

In late summer 2010, the California Air Resources Board will consider Future Low Emission Vehicle (LEV III) regulations, including criteria pollutant standards and greenhouse gas standards (formerly known as the Pavley Regulation, or Assembly Bill 1493). Revisions to the ZEV will be proposed shortly after the Board’s decision on LEV III.

In parallel, CARB staff will continue to assess the status of market pull complementary policies and need for additional incentives. It will also be conducting a review of electric infrastructure policies and will provide a California-specific infrastructure plan to the Board in the first half of 2010.