Eight US states to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025
26 October 2013
Governors from eight US states signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the roads in their states by 2025.
The “zero-emission vehicles” include battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel-cell-electric vehicles. These technologies can be used in passenger cars, trucks and transit buses.
The agreement was signed by the governors of California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont. Under the agreement, the governors will pursue the following efforts:
- Harmonize building codes to make it easier to construct new electric car charging stations;
- Lead by example by including zero emission vehicles in their public fleets;
- Evaluate and establish, where appropriate, financial and other incentives to promote zero emission vehicles;
- Consider establishing favorable electricity rates for home charging systems; and
- Develop common standards for roadway signs and charging networks.
The eight states will develop an action plan over the next six months.
The signatory states are among a group of states which have adopted rules requiring about 15% of new vehicles sold to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2025. Collectively, the eight states represent more than 23% of the US car market, and expect to have at least 3.3 million ZEVs operating on their roadways by that time.
US electric car sales in 2012 reached 52,000 vehicles, up from from 17,000 in 2011. Motorists bought more than 40,000 plug-in cars in the first and second quarters of 2013.
There are currently 16 ZEV models available from eight automotive manufacturers; nine run completely on batteries, two on hydrogen fuel cells and five are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that can run on gasoline as well as battery power. The number of models is expected to increase for model year 2014 and beyond.
There are some 6,700 charging stations open to the public in the signatory states.
Source: California ARB