https://www.fresnobee.com/article284073733.html
California’s road to electric vehicles has bumps, but it is the right direction |
Opinion BY KEN WALL SPECIAL TO THE FRESNO BEE JANUARY 10, 2024 10:17 AM
The transition in California from gas cars to electric vehicles is necessary, and needs to happen quickly.
This is the thrust of Gov. Newsom’s executive order requiring that no new gas-powered cars are to be sold in California by 2035.
So far, nine other states have passed similar measures; five more have draft regulations pending. But, in his recent opinion piece (Fresno Bee 12/4/23), Assemblymember Devon Mathis (whose district includes a part of Fresno County) says the order was issued without a “road map,” and that it will be costly. He seems to be especially concerned about China’s current control of several rare earth elements common in today’s car batteries.
Importantly, Mathis does not say that the transition to electric vehicles is unnecessary, only that the executive order requires the state to move too quickly. He apparently understands that continuing to burn fossil fuels will worsen the climate chaos we are already seeing today, and that the resulting damage will be costly.
Scientists continue to tell us that adding carbon to the atmosphere will cause more destructive future weather events, harm oceans, worsen air quality, and will result in more intense wildfires. Scientists are speaking more forcefully that we need to immediately reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases to lessen the severity of these impacts.
According to the California Energy Commission, the transportation sector is responsible for about 50% of the state’s CO2 emissions, and 80% of the smog emissions. Clearly, converting from internal combustion vehicles to EVs would greatly reduce these emissions.
I certainly agree with Mathis that the state government needs to ensure that disadvantaged San Joaquin Valley residents are not unfairly burdened with the cost of conversion (used gas powered cars will still be allowed in 2035). They are already disproportionately bearing the burden of our hideously poor air quality, and they do not need to unnecessarily shoulder more costs.
Mathis points out that the electric vehicle infrastructure is presently inadequate to support the necessary increase in the number of EVs. We can agree on that point as well, although efforts at the state level are well underway. From the energy commission: “Executive Order B-48-18 had set a goal of having 250,000 chargers (including 10,000 direct current fast chargers) by 2025. As of mid-2023, California has installed more than 91,000 public and shared chargers, including nearly 10,000 direct current fast chargers.”
I agree that over-reliance on China, or any other country, for rare metals necessary to produce car batteries (and other products needed for clean energy generation) is not a good idea. However, the cost of batteries has consistently fallen, and quality has increased, as technical improvements have been numerous and frequent (RMI Spark Newsletter 12/21/23). This seems to suggest that China has not materially withheld battery component supply from the marketplace.
Additionally, the EU and the U.S. are rapidly developing their own production capacities, so the China risk is diminishing, and it appears not to have obstructed . American EV production so far. According to the Electrek website (10/12/23), more than 313,000 EVs were sold in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2023, a nearly 50% increase from the third quarter of 2022.
In fact, Electrek says that EV sales have expanded for 13 straight quarters, and sales in the third quarter represent about 8% of total U.S. new car sales. Prices, while still too high for most people, have fallen over 20% since last year.
In summary, California has the need to transition from internal combustion vehicles to electric vehicles. And efforts are underway to keep the growth of EV sales moving forward, to ensure that EV infrastructure is sufficient and that everyone can participate in the transition.
State office holders have a special opportunity and obligation to support the governor’s executive order. This means passing needed legislation through the Legislature that improves EV infrastructure in California and ensures that the necessary transition is accomplished quickly and equitably.
Progress has been substantial, but more is needed.
Ken Wall is a retired banker and bank regulator in Fresno and is a local environmental advocate.
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