The California Assembly Transportation Committee passed a landmark ZEV incentive reform bill, AB 2816, by a 6-2 vote on Monday. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), directs the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to maximize the climate and equity impacts of the state’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) incentive programs by linking the amount of incentive to a driver’s past gasoline or diesel consumption level, with larger amounts for lower income drivers.
By shifting the biggest gasoline users into ZEVs first, AB 2816 also reduces the total number of ZEVs that would be needed to reach the state’s near-term target of cutting light-duty vehicle emissions in half by 2030.
If passed, this bill would make California the first government in the world to focus ZEV incentives on maximizing cuts in gasoline consumption.