Dear Plug In America Friends,
Hot news! The action you took last week on telling your legislator to oppose
AB 1964 was effective – the bill died in the California Legislature on Wednesday night when the session ended for the year. Instead, the Legislature passed
SB 838, which means that anyone who purchases a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) can apply for and get a green decal to drive in the HOV (carpool) lane – without the restrictions AB 1964 had. The expiration for the decals is now January 1, 2019, the same as for the all battery-electric vehicles (BEV). And last but certainly not least,
SB 32 passed, which cements a 40% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 for California. This sends a clear market signal for these clean vehicles that California is firmly committed to reducing GHG emissions beyond 2020.
Please take a moment to tell your Legislator thank you!
Now for the lukewarm news: the Legislature also passed an updated budget,
AB 1613, which includes $133 million for the
Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP). While this funding is lower than we’d like, the funding has the concrete benefit of getting the rebates flowing again. And, new additional income caps for claiming the rebate will take effect Nov. 1, 2016, per
SB 859. Plug In America will continue to work with legislators to optimize the CVRP for all consumers as the special legislative session on transportation gets underway.
The fall will continue to be action packed for EVs. Not only is
National Drive Electric Week just 9 days away, but more importantly, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will be reviewing a requirement that 15% of new vehicle sales be from zero-emission vehicles by 2025, called the ZEV Mandate. A crucial vote will be taken at the CARB meeting in December that will determine the pace of EV adoption in California and other states. Plug In America will be reaching back out for your support for a strong, favorable review of the ZEV Mandate later this fall.