California ARB hearing on Advanced Clean Cars regulation package carries over to Friday

26 January 2012

Thursday’s California Air Resources Board (ARB) hearing on the Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) regulation package (earlier post)—comprising LEV III for criteria and greenhouse gas emissions, modifications to the ZEV regulation for zero-emission vehicles, and modifications to the CFO (Clean Fuels Outlet) regulation to build a hydrogen fueling infrastructure in the state—is continuing over to Friday.

The Board heard its staff present the ACC package with modifications, and heard open public comment. In the Friday session, Board members will deliberate and question staff in trying to move the package forward.

We are here to consider another historical package of emission regulations. We are not just addressing various emissions from the car. I think we have finally gotten to the point where we are looking at the car as a unit, a holistic item, as a vehicle that uses fuel, not separate from the fuel. This is an important change in the whole philosophy of what we are doing and puts us on a path to achieve some very ambitious clean air and climate goals.

We are moving into a new era of electric and fuel cell vehicles, and we intend to put 1.4 million of the cleanest cars on our roads by 2025. This will ensure that the market for these vehicles will grow and be robust.

—Mary Nichols, ARB Chairman, at the opening of the hearing

Many of the public comments were supportive, with some organizations urging a more stringent version of the regulations, especially on restricting an option that would allow over-compliance by an automaker with greenhouse gas standards under LEV III to enable a reduction in the number of ZEV vehicles required from that automaker. There was also some concern expressed over the pacing of the more stringent PM regulations under LEV III as well.

Several small business organizations spoke out against the CFO regulations requiring the build-out of the hydrogen fueling infrastructure.