With the full release of its Advanced Clean Cars program expected next month, the California Air Resources Board has offered a summary of its key regulations in regard to greenhouse gases and exhaust criteria pollutants for the model years 2015-2025.
According to the California Air Resources Board, the long term goal of the Advanced Clean Cars programme is to shape the development of light duty transportation in an effort to meet the state’s reduction goal of 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050. To meet this target, the fleet will have to constitute largely of advanced technology vehicles, including electric cars.
Part of the plan includes the low emission vehicle program, which includes more stringent regulations for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gas regulations. This consists of a reduction in fleet average emissions of new passenger cars, light duty trucks and medium duty passenger vehicles; the replacement of separate NOx and NMOG standards with combined standards; an increase in the full useful life durability requirements from 120,000miles to 150,000miles; and a backstop to ensure the continued production of super ultra-low emission vehicles. It will also involve more stringent particulate matter standards; and zero fuel evaporative emission standards.
In addition, the California Air Resources Board is suggesting it will follow the US Environmental Protection Agency proposals by adopting separate standards for CO2, CH4 and N2O for the 2017-2025 model years.
Proposed greenhouse gas emission standards will reduce vehicle CO2 emissions to about 166g/mile – that’s a 34 per cent reduction compared to model year 2016 levels.
It will also continue its zero emission vehicle program which was first introduced in 1996. A number of modifications have been proposed, including compliance flexibility and an adjustment in credits and allowances. The increased requirements would also push zero emission vehicles and plug-in hybrids to about 15.4 per cent of new sales by 2025.
