Once again, the regulators in California have decided to lead the nation in terms of vehicle emission standards, proposing to require that 15.4 percent of all vehicles sold by 2025 must be electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars, or (currently non-existent) fuel cell cars.
In case you’re wondering why this all sounds familiar, it’s because California is re-running the same delusional program that it ran in 1990 (Yes, 22 years ago) when “Specifically, the Air Resources Board (ARB) required that at least 2 percent, 5 percent and 10 percent of new car sales be zero-emitting by 1998, 2001 and 2003 respectively.”
And how did the past exercise in planner’s conceit work out? As one of the first studies I directed in the think-tank world pointed out (1995), “EVs [electric vehicles] will be expensive, yet short on what consumers prize most: range and power…. Massive subsidies and/or cost-shifts would be required that would have depressive effects on the California economy (including higher energy costs statewide). Taxpayers and/or utility ratepayers would also have to pay for new refueling infrastructure. In addition, it is not clear that EV maintenance costs will be below that of conventional autos. If consumers avoid EVs for any of these reasons, and keep their old cars longer, air quality gains will be lost.”
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