California raises the bar on emission standards

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August 2002

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California raises the bar on emission standards
California Governor Gray Davis signed new legislation on July 23 that aims to reduce greenhouse gases through tougher auto standards. While the law remains vague on exactly how such reductions will be accomplished, it mandates that the California Air Resources Board develop a plan by 2005 for the "maximum feasible reduction" in tailpipe emissions from cars and light-duty trucks.

California is the only state not bound by the federal Clean Air Act because it enacted its clean air laws before the federal statute was passed. That means California is allowed to set state standards that surpass federal regulations. Other states can then opt for the California standard instead of the federal.

California is the largest market for autos in the U.S.—selling 2 million vehicles last year—so its legislation draws national attention, both from the auto industry and federal lawmakers. After the U.S. Senate failed to pass higher national standards for fuel efficiency in March, several U.S. Senators like John McCain (R-Arizona), John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), and Joseph Lieberman (D-Connecticut) contacted California state legislators to give their support.

According to the Los Angeles Times, auto industry representatives waged a multi-million dollar advertising campaign against the legislation over the past few months, running television commercials saying the legislation would raise the cost of vehicles to consumers, levy new consumer taxes on vehicles, and could make cars less safe on the road. The law actually prohibits any new taxes, lower speed limits, bans on certain types of vehicles, or mandatory weight reductions.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents all the major automakers except Honda, announced it would sue California in federal court. Possible grounds for reversal include the fact that carbon dioxide has never before been regulated as a "pollutant," according to the Los Angeles Times.

Honda and Toyota already produce mass-market hybrid vehicles, cars that run on a combination of electrical power and gasoline. Toyota also sells a completely electric vehicle called the RAV4 EV that is available only in California and is beginning to promote a vehicle using fuel-cell technology. Toyota's Web site reports it sold over 100,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide as of March 2002.

A coalition of environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Environmental Defense, praised the new legislation. "Cars and light-duty trucks are responsible for 40 percent of California's carbon dioxide emissions, which form a heat-trapping blanket in the atmosphere. But the technology for reducing these emissions has been available to automakers for some time," said Tim Carmichael, Executive Director of the Coalition for Clean Air.

Nancy Ryan of Environmental Defense said, "Cleaning up auto pollution is key to sustainable economic growth in California. [This law] puts California in a leadership role in developing a sustainable and robust 21st-century economy."—Tara Dix

For more information see:
Toyota's environmental efforts
Auto technology for the environment
Advancements in fuel cell technology
Honda's hybrid vehicles

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