State agencies and utilities in California are rallying to muster support for recently reaffirmed state rules for low emission vehicles (LEVs) following a flurry of criticism of the rules.
In 1990, California Air Resources Board (CARB) enacted a requirement that 2% of all new cars manufactured for sale in the state be zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 1998, 5% by 2001, and 10% by 2003. That essentially constitutes a mandate for electric vehicles. Some U.S. Northeast states propose similar mandates under efforts to comply with the 1990 U.S. Clean Air Act amendments. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will rule on those proposals by yearend.
MANDATES UNDER FIRE
The ZEV rule has come under fire by the oil and auto industries.
Earlier this month, Western States Petroleum Association asked California Public Utilities Commission to deny a request by four utilities for $600 million in subsidies for LEVs and ZEVs (OGJ, May 9, p. 26). Adding fuel to the fire was a leaked draft EPA report that challenged claims that electric vehicles are truly ZEVs, when power plant emissions are taken into consideration (OGJ, May 9, P. 17).
On May 13, after 2 days of hearings, CARB upheld its ZEV mandate, concurring with a CARB staff report that concluded electric vehicle technology is well on pace to produce a commercially viable car with a range before recharging of 100-200 miles by 1998. The hearings were required as a review of the 1990 LEV/ZEV mandate.
Another such hearing, is scheduled for 1996, but automakers contend they must soon begin designing 1998 car models and pilot Production of batteries to meet the rule's deadlines.
In related developments:
- Southern California Gas Co. voiced support for CARB's LEV and ZEV mandates while asking CARB to consider new standards for natural gas vehicles (NGVs).
- Chrysler Corp. said it would build a new electric minivan to meet California air pollution standards but contends it, will have trouble selling the vehicles.
- Ford Motor Co. said automakers striving to meet California's ZEV mandate will have to choose whether to continue investing in costly but promising advanced technologies or to refocus on tech approaches less acceptable to customers but able to get to market within 3 years.
SOCALGAS
While offering its support for LEV/ZEV mandates, SoCalGas asked CARB to create standards that would offer additional emissions reductions by including inherently low emission (ILEV) and zero emission equivalent (ZEVE) NGVs.
Testing at the CARB hearings, SoCalGas executive Andrew Hirsch noted that NGVs are at least 90% cleaner than conventionally fueled vehicles and have no evaporative emissions. He called on CARB to expand the LEV program to include the federal ILEV standard and the new ZEVE standard. ILEV calls for elimination of evaporative emissions that are ozone precursors, which goes beyond the state's ultralow emission vehicle (ULEV) standard and is included in the recently released draft federal implementation plan for the South Coast air basin. Coupling ILEV with the LEV program would accelerate technological development and cut emissions, Hirsch said. A ZEVE standard would allow use of vehicles with tailpipe emissions substantially matching those from local power plants required to charge electric vehicle batteries.
A study by Energy International Inc. and released, by SoCalGas found that NGVs are the practical equivalent to electric vehicles when increased power plant emissions in the Los Angeles basin caused by recharging the electric vehicles are taken into consideration. The study focused on full fuel cycle emissions associated with NGVs and electric vehicles and used results from state Certification of Chrysler's NGV minivan and Chrysler based transitional electric vehicle (TEV) van. It projected results for 1994 and 2000 emission sources.
The study found the NGV cleaner with regard to nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and particulate matter and the electric vehicle cleaner with regard to reactive organic gases and carbon monoxide.
SoCalGas said, "An expanded LEV program that includes electric vehicles, ILEVs, and ZEVEs will effect greater emissions reductions since it will include more vehicles."
CHRYSLER, FORD CONCERNS
Chrysler's announcement came just before the CARB hearing to review the state's 1990 zero emission vehicle standard. It said its vans would have state of the art batteries but would cost more than $40,000 and have a cruising range of only 100 miles.
Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors Corp. have offered to fund an impartial battery technology survey to demonstrate to CARB whether technology can meet the 1998 deadline.
Ford Executive Vice Pres. Peter Pestillo told the CARB hearing, "The current 1998 mandate presents us with an untenable business proposition."
He said Ford is concerned that battery technology has not been developed that delivers the driving range customers demand at a price they can afford.
Pestillo said Ford is committed to develop the best electric vehicle (EV) possible, but "if the mandate stays in place for 1998, we need to begin to focus all our resources on what necessarily will have to be a relatively low technology electric vehicle, probably with lead acid batteries.
"Yet we know that the initial purchase price, range limitations, and maintenance costs will make these EVs unacceptable to most customers.'
Ford recommends instead introducing advanced technology likely to meet true customer needs as development allows in niche market programs. Ford is testing one such niche program, involving a fleet of Ecostar electric vans tested the next 30 months. To date, eight electric utilities and other companies are using 30 of the vans in daily operations. The Ecostar has an advanced sodium sulfur battery that can deliver 100 miles of real world driving range.
Ford has spent more than $150 million the past 2 years on Ecostar and other EV research. Despite its progress, Ford said, the lack of a battery acceptable to consumers means that California's fast approaching 1998 deadline risks jeopardizing the long term viability of an EV market.
Copyright 1994 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
