CARB Approves Greenhouse Gas Rule

If you have been following the AB 1493, then you must know by now that the Air resources Board has approved the regulatory action.

According to ARB staff, the average reduction of greenhouse gases from new California cars and light trucks will be about 22 percent in 2012 and about 30 percent in 2016, compared to today's vehicles. Costs for the added technology needed to meet the rule are expected to average about $325 per vehicle in 2012 and about $1050 per vehicle to comply in 2016. The ARB staff analysis concludes that the new rule will result in savings for vehicle buyers by lowering operating expenses that will more than offset the added costs of the new vehicles and provide an overall cost savings to consumers.

The adoption of this rule makes California the nation's only state that has regulated motor vehicles for their contributions to global climate change. At least seven other states including New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine, as well as the nation of Canada, are expected to consider adopting the regulation for their use. If all of those states and Canada adopt the rule, the number of cars required to meet the rule will triple.

This will be a de facto fuel economy improvement requirement, and thus will get challenged in the courts. ARB is bracing itself for this over the past two years. There are also hints that the Carmakers may actually take a more cooprative approach in dealing with the ARB. All in all, the battle over AB 1493 is far from over, but CARB seems to be determined to forge ahead with support promised by Gov. Schwarzenegger.