Clean Car Standards
AUDIO:
Southern Arizona Officials Ask Congress To Keep Clean Car Standards. According
to Arizona Public Radio, “The Trump Administration wants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to roll back the federal clean car standards. Local doctors and government officials said Tuesday that is a bad idea. Pima County is home to 17,000 children with
asthma and 79,000 adults who suffer from the condition, according to Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias. He said if the standards are reduced they will suffer. ‘They will have a shorter life, they will have more problems living comfortable with the changes
proposed by the EPA,’ said Elias. Local government officials said they are doing what they can to reduce car emissions but they need federal backing. ‘You do all that work and you pick up inches, and something like this comes along and it sets you back a mile,’
said Jonathan Rothschild, Tucson mayor. Last year, Pima County violated the federal ground-level ozone standards for the first time. The pollutant is caused by a combination of sunlight and exhaust fumes.” [Arizona Public Media,
6/25/19
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Congress
In Lobbying Battle For Electric Vehicle Tax Credit,
It’s Car Makers Vs. The Oil And Gas Industry. According
to the Washington Post, “When the chief executive of General Motors came to Washington earlier this month, she huddled with a handful of her best allies in Congress: the Michigan delegation. That state’s senior senator, Debbie Stabenow (D), says Mary Barra
asked her to bring together members from both parties in part to stress the company’s commitment to building electric cars. In 2019 alone, the company said it will add 400 jobs to its Orion, Mich., plant to build a new electric Chevrolet and previewed its
first electric Cadillac. But to sell these cars — and keep these jobs — Barra wanted their help. GM, like a fleet of other car manufacturers, is seeking the extension of a tax break that has for a decade helped sustain the sale of cars that need little to
no gasoline to run. This has triggered an intense lobbying battle with oil and natural gas companies, which supply the fuel that runs the internal-combustion engines that dominate American roadways. It’s not just about the money: Electric vehicle sales could
also help determine whether the United States can curtail the buildup of climate-warming gases from tailpipes and the rest of the transportation sector, which recently surpassed power plants as the country’s top source of carbon dioxide emissions.” [Washington
Post, 6/25/19
(=)]
Electric Vehicles
Arnold Schwarzenegger Stars In A New Ad Plugging Electric Cars.
According to Wired, “It’s hard to disguise Arnold Schwarzenegger. There’s the size of
the man—even at 71 years old, he’s broad, if not soaring. His face has been a regular presence on screens for decades. And of course, he’s got that accent. ‘No one can hide the accent,’ Schwarzenegger says. So the men and women looking to buy an electric car
at a Burbank, California, dealership weren’t fooled when a large Austrian wearing a fake mustache, wig, and Hawaiian shirt introduced himself as Howard Kleiner. Nor were they fooled by his patently ridiculous arguments against going electric: That a horribly
noisy Hummer will impress rather than piss off one’s neighbors, that street cred beats a tax credit, that generating pollution is an easy way to curb overpopulation, that hitting the gas pump ‘is sometimes more satisfying than sex.’ But the jokey lines and
the confused reactions of the car shoppers produce what may be an effective ad.
The former bodybuilder is, in fact, a big fan of electric cars who signed a fair number of
pro-environment bills into law during his two terms as California’s governor. And so the commercial gets serious at the end, with Schwarzenegger saying, ‘Electric cars save money, time, and the environment, without sacrificing any of the fun and excitement
of driving.’” [Wired, 6/25/19
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Arnold Schwarzenegger Pushes Gas Guzzlers As Undercover Car Salesperson.
According o Mashable, “Do it now! That’s sleazy used car salesman Howard Kleiner back
in action, this time trying to get would-be electric car buyers hyped about gas-guzzling, fossil fuel-burning cars. Except it’s — surprise! — former California governor, body builder, and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger with a fake mustache and wig. He’s
just pretending to be a salesman obsessed with muscle cars that burn tons of gas as part of a campaign to get more people informed about electric vehicles. ‘We need to get off fossil fuels as quickly as we can,’ the governator said in a phone call this week.
The tongue-in-cheek video is part of EV coalition Veloz’s ‘Kicking Gas’ and Electric For All campaign to bring more electric cars to California and beyond. The organization works with automakers, utilities, government agencies, charging networks, and other
transportation groups to raise awareness about electric vehicles. Yes, there’s a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor about Schwarzenegger’s predilection for big cars and roles as tough characters — he was literally The Terminator. One of his reps said in
a call that a serious video ‘isn’t as effective as going ridiculous and putting a mustache on Arnold.’ California, while ahead of other states, still has work to do if it’s to reach its goal of 5 million zero-emission cars on the road by 2030. Mary Nichols,
chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board said, ‘We know we need even larger numbers if we’re going to reach our air pollution or climate goals.’” [Mashable,
6/25/19
(+)]
States
Provision On Electric Vehicles Is Aimed At Getting GOP Senator Who Sells Tesla Parts To
Vote For Budget. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “A last-minute budget
provision to make it easier to sell cars made by Tesla is aimed at winning the crucial vote of Sen. Chris Kapenga, who has pushed for the measure in the past and owns a business that sells Tesla parts and salvaged electric vehicles. Assembly Republicans added
the measure to the budget Tuesday, a day before the GOP-controlled Senate was to take it up. Kapenga is a longtime supporter of the Tesla proposal but said he wasn’t sure yet if he would vote for the budget. The budget measure would allow Tesla to sell its
electric vehicles directly to consumers rather than having to go through dealers. Kapenga, a Republican from Delafield who works as an accountant, owns Integrity Motorsports of Eagle, which sells Tesla parts and rebuilds and sells salvaged Teslas, according
to the company website. A 2019 Tesla Model X sells at prices ranging from $83,000 to $139,000, according to Kelley Blue Book. Kapenga said in an interview he hasn’t sold any Tesla vehicles but has rebuilt two for him and his wife. Kapenga said he previously
sold used Lexus-made vehicles through the business. ‘I’ve made no money from it,’ Kapenga said. ‘It’s a hobby of mine and just because I enjoy the product and that I’m kind of a gear head, I don’t gain materially or economically at all — that would be unethical
... I’m very careful of that.’” [Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 6/25/19
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Proposal Would Mandate Zero-Emission Airport Shuttles.
According to E&E News, “California tomorrow will consider restricting many airport shuttles
to electric or other nonpolluting models by 2035, a first-in-the-nation policy. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) proposal targets vans, buses and similar vehicles that run short, fixed routes to airport parking lots, rental cars and nearby hotels.
It would affect the state’s 13 largest airports: San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland and Ontario International, along with commuter airports in Orange County, Burbank-Hollywood, Long Beach, Palm Springs, Fresno and Santa Barbara.
When fully put in place, the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) rule would cut 35,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. That’s equivalent to taking more than 7,400 gas-fueled passenger cars off the road each year. ‘This proposal would virtually eliminate
tailpipe emissions from airport shuttles operating at and around California airports,’ a staff report on the proposal said. It could act as a trigger to force wider adoption of ZEVs, the report said, ‘necessary to provide cleaner air for all Californians while
slowing down the effects of climate change.’” [E&E News, 6/26/19
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Virginia To Use $12m In Funding For Electric Transit Buses.
According to the Associated Press, “More than $12 million in state funding will be used
to deploy electric transit buses in three Virginia localities. In total, 17 electric buses and charging infrastructure will be used by local transit systems in Alexandria, Blacksburg and Hampton Roads. Nearly $9 million of the funding will come from the Environmental
Mitigation Trust that the state received as part of its settlement with Volkswagen. Funding recipients must purchase the electric buses and place them into service within two years. The use of electric buses is expected to reduce operational costs for transit
agencies through savings from lower fuel and maintenance costs. They are also expected to avoid tons of carbon emissions and pounds of nitrogen oxide emissions.” [Associated Press,
6/25/19
(=)]
Savannah To Replace 300 Cars In Municipal Fleet With EVs.
According to E&E News, “A Georgia city is trying to reduce its contribution to global
warming by outfitting city workers with electric cars. News outlets report the city of Savannah added two electric vehicles on Monday, with plans to grow the fleet as vehicles retire each year. Sustainability Director Nick Deffley says about 300 vehicles in
the city’s fleet are suitable to be replaced with all-electric or hybrid vehicles. The city plans to reduce its carbon footprint and fuel costs by powering 15% of city vehicles with alternative fuels or hybrid technology by 2023. Savannah is leasing the Nissan
Leafs, which have a charge range of 150 miles and a sticker price of $31,500.” [E&E News,
6/25/19
(=)]
auto Manufacturers
Here's Why Automakers Are So Eager To Extend Electric Car Tax Breaks.
According to the Washington Post, “General Motors, Tesla and a fleet of other car manufacturers are going into overdrive to extend a tax break that has for a decade helped sustain
the sale of cars that need little to no gasoline to run. But in that effort, there is a roadblock: Oil and natural gas companies, which supply the gas fueling the internal-combustion engines dominating American roadways and which oppose extending tax breaks
for vehicles that don’t use their fuel. This has triggered an intense lobbying battle on Capitol Hill between two powerful and traditionally closely linked industries, Steven Mufson and I report. Oil and gas companies, said electric car proponent Rep. Daniel
Kildee (D-Mich.), ‘prefer a world where every vehicle spews greenhouse gases, and this is not the world that I’m trying to encourage.’ But opponents, in their own blitz of studies, op-eds and meetings with lawmakers, are emphasizing what they see as the economic
downsides of the tax credit. They say extending the credit would be unfair to middle- and lower-class consumers unable to afford electric cars. And they’re making inroads with their own Republican allies.” [Washington Post,
6/26/19 (+)]
BMW Set To Double Electric Vehicle Sales By 2021.
According to CNBC, “BMW is on track to double its electric and hybrid vehicle sales by 2021, the company said Tuesday as it unveiled its newest electric car. The German automaker
announced that it will meet its target of marketing 25 electrified vehicle models by 2023 — two years earlier than expected. More than half of those models will be fully electric. Sales of BMW’s electric models are expected to increase by 30% every year between
now and 2025, the carmaker also added. BMW also revealed the Vision M Next, an electrified concept car, which was complete with a prototype of ‘intelligent technology to transform (owners) into the ultimate driver.’ Unveiling the sportscar at its #NEXTGen
show in Munich, BMW said the car gave a glimpse of how driving may look in the future — offering people the choice between being driven by technology or doing the driving themselves.
The Vision M Next was complete with prototypes of BMW’s ‘ease’ and ‘boost’ features, which will be incorporated into its autonomous vehicles. The ‘ease’ function is selected when the
vehicle assumes driving duties, allowing passengers to relax, talk or even watch a movie. Meanwhile, ‘boost’ allows drivers to control the car themselves.” [CNBC,
6/25/19 (=)]
Opinion Pieces
Op-Ed: Children – And Battery Electric School Buses – Are Our Future.
According to an op-ed by Samantha Jones in the Portland Press-Herald, “Nearly 150,000 Maine children, as well as over 2,300 school bus drivers, breathe polluted air on traditional
diesel yellow school buses every day. Diesel pollution affects the growth of kids’ lungs and worsens asthma symptoms, and has also been linked to poorer academic performance. Roughly 95 percent of school buses in the United States – as well as 60 percent of
transit buses – run on diesel fuel. Strides have been made toward doing something about this diesel pollution, like the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Diesel Program, which has funded projects to replace or retrofit over 450 diesel school buses, but
we should replace buses powered by fossil fuels with the cleanest technology possible for the health of future generations: all-electric. Investing in diesel and natural gas technologies represents a significant missed opportunity to accelerate the transformation
to an all-electric, clean-running transportation network that could help reduce illness and save lives. Keeping diesel buses on the road despite the health impacts of air pollution means that every time a child gets on a school bus, we are putting their health
at risk. Our kids shouldn’t have to breathe dirty, dangerous air just to get to school. As the negative health impacts of long-term exposure to diesel exhaust become more clear, the need to move to zero-emission school buses becomes more urgent.” [Portland
Press-Herald,
6/26/19 (+)]
Chad Ellwood
Research Associate
202.448.2877 ext. 119