GM Says No, FedEx Says Yes … and much more Vehicle News

CARB FalloutJust a month after California Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Resources Board (CARB) voted unanimously to keep the 10 year old ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mandate in place, General Motors filed a law suit to overturn the rules. GM claims CARB is ignoring auto makers’ costs and wants to test public acceptance of electric vehicles for five years instead of implementing the 2003 rules. The mandate encourages production of neighborhood EVs (small vehicles like Ford’s Th!nk) which can’t be driven over 35 miles per hour. GM claims this ”raises significant safety issues.” The company also expressed concerns that New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont may adopt the same standards. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the industry’s lobbying organization, in a surprising move, indicated it will work with CARB to implement the rules rather than join in the lawsuit. The CARB mandate requires that 10% of new vehicles sold in California be clean vehicles starting in 2003. The decision triggers similar legislation in states that have adopted California’s clean air laws – Massachusetts, New York and Vermont. The final rule gives auto manufacturers flexibility in how they meet the 10% requirement. Only two percent must be ZEVs, two percent must be hybrids, […]

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