| Back to main menu? | Back to Index of Entries? |
CARB killed the Battery component of the ZEV madate, but it had to do with a lot of staff errors, also, fools like the Chair thinking that the oil and auto companies would play fair. Thrice they got skinned by the sharper oil guys, first on the wording of the MOU, second on
| the proliferation of "gold", "silver", "bronze", AT-PZEV, etc., then on the 2001 relaxation of standards giving auto makers a break but illegally regulating mpg, whereas CARB can only regulate emissions. Still, the sanctimonious words from those CARB meetings in Mar. and Apr. 2003 come back to haunt the killers of the EV1, the 8 board members who voted to drop Battery EVs. Wouldn't it be great if ALL 80 of those Citizens who tried to save the EV1 back then would return this Mar. 22, and replay the words they spoke then? And expose the lies and ineptitude of CARB, how it snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The Sierra Club was no help: their rep, John White, shmoozed with Lloyd, happy with his little "Insect" and "Prius" gas-hybrids that generated so many contributions to big organizations that played along with the oil and auto companies. Here's the words of Chair Alan Lloyd himself, with comments in brackets: "...I said at the outset of today's hearing we have not failed in our quest for zero-emission transportation... [Four years later, it SURE LOOKS LIKE a failure!] "...it is, in fact, a marathon, not a sprint. The task of achieving a revolutionary change in motor vehicle technology is simply more difficult than anyone anticipated when this effort began in the early '90s and, in fact, requires working closely with the industries..." [Actually, it involves REGULATING THEM, standing up for the people instead of rolling over and looking for handouts. No progress unless you take the first step!] "...we need to be realistic about the challenge that is still before us, but we should keep our optimism...At the same time we need to stay focused on what is achievable in each time frame and about what constitutes the progress towards our ultimate goal, which is advancing the technology and getting clean air and, in fact, our drive to zero... [a challenge to unpack this] "...[the] family of technologies that are getting us to cleaner air are, in fact, a critical portion of this overall regulation, although the ZEV piece attracts the most attention... [Hmm. sounds a bit resentful of "showboatin' ZEV"] "...Again, with all that being said the support in general, the staff proposal for amending the ZEV regulation as laid out today in particular just to reiterate changes to the ZEV and hybrid electric vehicle calculation to address the legal concerns..." [Lloyd is referring to his own mistake, a 2001 amendment to the ZEV mandate that gave credit for high-mpg cars. Because, perhaps, Lloyd didn't know the law, he didn't know that this power to regulate mpg was reserved to the federal government. Because CARB made this illegal regulation, they lost the ability to enforce the ZEV mandate until 2005] "...I think the two-path compliance structure is important given that flexibility..." [The "TWO PATH" idea creates an "alternative", non-invasive avenue for auto makers to avoid doing much of anything -- for example, they are currently all "in compliance" -- until 2014] "...reliance on the California Fuel Cell Partnership stretch goals to define the appropriate number of fuel cell vehicles on the alternative path in 2001 to 2008 which brings up the 250 number..." [But due to WEASEL FACTORS that excuse auto makers, there are only 93 actual fuel cell vehicles, not 250] "...since the last meeting we have had that strong letter from Sierra Club and John White endorsing that number..." [John White was the Sierra Club rep who commended all the "progress"] "...ARB being one of the founding members of California Fuel Cell Partnership, being the Chairman for this year of that, again I have a lot of faith and a lot of hope in that partnership to get us to zero-emission technology..." [But, IMO, only an ignoramus would think Fuel Cells more practical, than, say, CNG or BEV, which don't need research and don't need construction -- the EVs were there, already built] "...there are many challenges to be overcome, but I think we have a chance to, in fact, turn the tide, if you like, to work together with all the stakeholders here to bring us a technology to California and working together with the energy partners, government partners, technology developers, and the industry..." [Lloyd's current job is an industry group designed to streamline regulations, it seems, so he got his dream by killing ours] "...we will have a real opportunity...with the increased effort at the national level and international level..." [HUH? As Bush killed alternatives to oil??] "...That's not to say, obviously, that we are going to continue with our other seeking of battery electric technology to get to us to zero.." [Propbably NOT what he meant to say!] "...I've learned a lot in the last two years about the numbers..." [Yeah, at the font of Ford and Honda motor wisdom, no doubt] "...I think the creation of a new independent expert review panel to assist the Board in evaluating the status of ZEV technology, both fuel cell and batteries and hybrid electrics..." [LOL! Just how are "hybrid" mixed up with ZEV? Alan is going against CARB's over-complicated "credits" scheme] "...staff was talking about getting that started in 2005. I think that's too early. I would like to see that being sort of in the 2007/08 time frame or '06..." [Well, here we are, and NOTHING has been done, except crush the EV1] "...to give us time to understand the technology...I would request that annually the...staff reports to the Board to give us a status report as we have in some others about the progress of how this regulation is being implemented..." "... And I think in the past we've been surprised about maybe people have taken advantage of this..." [NO, NOT "people", it was GM and the AMA that BAMBOOZLED you, Alan!] "...the basically unexpected consequences..." [Unexpected, that is, by Alan Lloyd] "... staff would report back to the Board to make sure it's going along. An annual basis would be helpful. Not a hearing, just an informational one..." [THAT WAY, THEY CAN BAR PUBLIC COMMENT!] "...with regard to battery electric vehicles I, too, am concerned that the manufacturers step away from this technology at this time. And it's been deeply disappointing..." [You have NO IDEA how disappointing, to the people who had to pay for their EV and who had it taken away and CRUSHED] "...Two years ago I had great hopes...I'm pleased the additional incentives to the proposal to encourage auto makers to keep BEVs on the road as long as possible. And I'm also satisfied with the inclusion of BEVs and the alternative compliance path is done so at a favorable ratio. So we're not turning our back..." [Yes, you did turn your back] "...With regard to plug-in hybrids, I think we've all heard the response from auto makers...has ranged from clear indifference to...attractive..." "...I think we should seriously consider a motion to approve staff's proposal essentially as is..." Here was the vote on the STAFF recommendation to kill BEVs. A "NO" vote keeps the ZEV mandate, holding car makers to producing BEV in large numbers after Lloyd's mistake of 2001 was rectified. A "YES" VOTE KILLED THE BATTERY EV: Back to main menu? | Back to Index of Entries? | |