The ZEV plan focuses on both plug-in electric and plug-in hybrid (PEV) and fuel cell FCEV vehicle and infrastructure development. Lot of debate around here about which will win, PEVs or FCEVs eventually, but both are part of this plan: http://opr.ca.gov/docs/Governor's_Office_ZEV_Action_Plan_(02-13).pdf "ZEVs increase our energy independence. California currently imports two-thirds of its petroleum from out of state, including half of its petroleum from foreign countries, and accounts for about 10 percent of U.S. gasoline and diesel consumption. In 2011, over 390 million barrels of crude oil were used to produce gasoline and diesel fuel consumed in California. Nationally, 95 percent of the transportation sector is dependent on petroleum, resulting in national vulnerability to potential supply disruptions, long gas lines, gas price spikes and a transfer of wealth to many countries hostile to the U.S. Recent estimates suggest that oil dependence has cost the U.S. over $2 trillion in direct costs over the last five years, including $500"
The trick to selling millions of ZEVs will be to build ZEVs people want to drive. You will notice that CA rewards people for driving PHEVs and BEVs now by giving them HOV access, making them more desirable.
...since you asked, here is my shot at it. Environmentally, it is CA-centric due to unique smog problem. The electrification idea is politically popular for many others in USA, but CA may be the most committed to it. Other places in the world like Japan, Germany, the problem is just making enough electricity for electricity needs. Mainly in USA do we seem to have a fairly strong political drive (among some) to fuel switch from oil to electric in cars. CA logic (given in the ZEV justification) about some oil coming from out-of-state is a little funny since that's where some significant CA electric comes from too, I assume. Low cost argument is a little funny too.
Norway leads the world with plug-in vehicles per capita. It has fairly high vehicle taxes, which are waved for plug-ins. Isreal and Denmark both seem to be very pro plug-in countries. California is fairly unique in this Zero thing though. Other countries - Japan, Germany, South Korea also are building hydrogen infrastrure. California seems rather unique in trying to get 1.5M Fuel cell and BEV (not PHEV as those aren't zero) on the road in 2025.
Gov. Brown and all are including PHEVs - "ZEVs include hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), which include both pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)" ... which is a little weird, but PHEV may stand a chance of selling the best. Volt leading so far.
Well then is the governor redefining ZEVs to include PHEVs? In that case how does building an hydrogen infrastructure really help get a much higher percentage of ZEVs? I'm all for 1.5 million plug-ins by 2025, but that would give quite different spending priorities. This would mean more L2 chargers as the country is building, but would no require a massive expansion of hydrogen stations nor quick chargers
IIRC, didn't L.A. have a decent street car / mass transit system? It might have been in the 1940's era? Didn't big oil as well as Government Motors put an end to that in order to push for the automobile? DBCassidy
Gee I do not know about past mass transit. I was from Pittsburgh where the trolley line stills runs to my mom's house (somehow GM passed over Pittsburgh). But even the Pgh trolley system is a shadow of its former self, as automobiles did mostly take over.