CARB takes taxpayers' money under false pretenses...

CARB takes taxpayers' money under false pretenses of cleaning up mobile pollution, but they follow the orders of the Alliance of Auto Makers.

California Air Resources Board (CARB) fails California and the USA

The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate (ZEV) was intended to be a requirement for actual production, contrary to Board Member Dan Sperling's assertion that it's merely "technology forcing".

It was not intended as a research program. It was intended to put real Zero Emission Vehicles into the hands of willing buyers, on the free market. Enough of them to make a real difference, 10% by 2003. Previous CARB weakness led to retreat after retreat, until now even the Board fails to remember its purpose.

Part of the whittling-away of the program was the crushing of the battery Electric cars, based on auto company solemn promises in 2003 to actually build fuel cell cars. Even the few demonstration fuel cells, too few to make a difference, were just a sham they had no intention of honoring.

Their already faint promises were not kept. Now CARB is formally releasing auto makers from even the simulation of compliance with the original ZEV mandate.

The failure continues the mistakes of former CARB Chairman Alan Lloyd.

Mr. Sperling, then, is not as knowledgeable as he is supposed by the Board that acquiesced in this latest destruction of the ZEV mandate.

There is no longer need to be "technology-neutral", as CARB Chair Nichols and even opposition groups maintain; the technology HAS been tested, and we KNOW what works:

1997 EV1 with lead batteries from Panasonic Storage Battery Co., up to 110 miles at up to 80 mph;
1997 HondaEV with NiMH batteries from Panasonic Energy PEVE, up to 140 miles at up to 80 mph;
1999 EV1 with NiMH batteries from GM-Ovonics, up to 160 miles (140 EPA certified) at up to 80 mph;
1997 Toyota RAV4-EV with NiMH batteries from Panasonic Energy, up to 120 miles at up to 80 mph. Last sold in Nov., 2002, these are still running fine, even though Toyota has refused to sell replacement batteries;
Various battery scooters, Neighborhood EVs, motorcycles and city cars.

Much more at link:
http://ev1.org/