Advances in electirc vehicle technology from 1990 to 1995: The role of California`s zero emission vehicle mandate. Final report
The California Air Resources Board will soon require that auto-makers offer for sale Ifizero emission vehicles`` (ZEVS) in California. Starting in 1998, the auto-makers subject to this mandate will be those who sell more than 35,000 vehicles in California whose laden weight is less than 3,750 lb. They must offer for sale ZEVs in sufficient numbers that at least 2 percent of all the vehicles (under the weight limit) that the offer for sale, are ZEVS. The effects we trace here are advances in EVs and EV technologies and increases in commercial and public investment in these vehicles and technologies. In particular, we examine how EVs have improved from 1990 to the present. We measure economic and technological activity in three ways. First, we examine changes in overall vehicle performance. Top speed, acceleration, driving range, recharging time, availability of amenities and options, and real world driving impressions tell us how well EVs perform. Second, we examine changes in the performance of individual components and systems. We measure aggregate changes in activity through the formation of business and government consortia and overall technological inventiveness and innovation as evidenced by patents. We show that much of the improvement to EVs made in the 1990s can be directly traced to the ZEV mandate. By setting the time at which EVs must be brought to market, the ZEV mandate summoned the resources, fired the imaginations, and rekindled the interest of many entrepreneurs, governments, utilities and consumers.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Turrentine (Thomas), Aptos, CA (United States); Kurani (Kenneth), Newcastle, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 205953
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR--106274
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
BATTERY CHARGERS
BATTERY CHARGING
BENCHMARKS
CALIFORNIA
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES
EMISSION
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
ENERGY POLICY
ENERGY STORAGE
ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS
FLYWHEEL ENERGY STORAGE
FLYWHEELS
OFF-PEAK ENERGY STORAGE
PATENTS
REGULATIONS
RELIABILITY
STANDARDS
STATE GOVERNMENT
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT