California

Yesterday we told you about the California Air Resources Board granting approval to the Advanced Clean Cars package (see article) – and now we can bring you news about a new vehicle category that has been created as part of the regulation. Under the section devoted to zero emission vehicle regulation, the ARB had introduced [...]

As it helps to build the market for electric cars and fuel cell cars, the California Air Resources Board has voted unanimously on the introduction of the Advanced Clean Cars package. ARB chairman Mary Nichols described the package as “visionary and absolutely feasible”. The programme has actually been in development for more than three years [...]

The US state of California is determined to secure a sustainable future with strong support for electric vehicle charging – as indicated in a new five-year plan from the California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO). Between 2012 and 2020 it wants to quadruple wind and solar generation within the ISO transmission grid while also increasing [...]

There’s always that question about solar energy – what happens if it’s not sunny enough? Well now it appears that US Department of Defence (DoD) has addressed this question by focusing on one of the hottest areas in the world – the Californian desert. The DoD believes it could generate as much as 7,000MW of [...]

California has certainly led the way among US states in embracing environmental technology – and now solar power is part of the state’s forward thinking strategies. The Centre for Environmental Research and Technology at the University of California has picked up an award of $2million for a two-year project aimed at building solar arrays, vehicle [...]

As it bids to reduce emissions from its transport fuels, the California Energy Commission is looking for proposals to provide funding for new biofuel production facilities in the state that could help to produce low carbon transportation fuels. Having made around $37million available under this solicitation, California hopes to encourage production of fuels such as: [...]

Honda is to be taken to court by a Californian driver of one of its 2006 model Civic Hybrid cars over claims that the car fails to live up to its fuel economy ratings. Former corporate attorney Heather Peters is to take the car giant to the small claims court, avoiding a class-action suit, where [...]

As California leads the push towards green motoring, could it be turning its back on petroleum (gasoline) in favour of diesel power? According to figures from the state Board of Equalisation, petrol consumption decreased by two per cent in the third quarter of 2011 – while diesel fuel consumption increased by 6.6 per cent. The [...]

The US state of California has been leading the way in terms of environmental movements – and now the potential success of its efforts has been revealed. According to a report from the California Council on Science and Technology, total travel demand in the state is expected to increase between 50 per cent and 100 [...]

The California Air Resources Board has released details of its Advanced Clean Car package of regulations ahead of a meeting to consider adopting the new rules in January, 2012. The program combines the control of greenhouse gas emissions with the control of soot and smog-causing pollutants, and places them into one package of requirements for [...]