Committee Unanimously Passes Bill Advancing California Toward Goal of a Million Zero-Emission Vehicles

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Environment California

SACRAMENTO – The Senate Transportation & Housing Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 1275 (De León) today, propelling California toward its goal of putting one million electric cars, trucks and buses on the state’s roads within the next ten years. The “Charge Ahead California” Initiative will also improve air quality across the state, and ensure that the benefits of electric transportation and clean air reach low-income communities and communities of color most directly impacted by fossil fuel pollution.

“To clean up our dirty air, we need to make electric cars more accessible for our middle and low-income families, not just the wealthy,” said Senator Kevin de León, who introduced the bill.

California has seven of the ten worst polluted U.S. cities. Forty percent of the state’s population lives near a highway or other busy road—more than any other state. Cars and trucks are the single largest source of global warming pollution in California. They are also the largest contributor to air pollution that harms public health.

“Three million Californians, including nearly 700,000 children, suffer from asthma in California. Reducing pollution from cars and trucks is one of the most important public health measures we can take to respond to this health emergency. The technology is ready to help Californians replace dirty gasoline and diesel with cleaner electricity,” said Martha Dina Argüello, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles. “Speeding our adoption of electric transportation in every community can help us achieve cleaner air and healthier communities,” Argüello said.

Senate Bill 1275 deploys a number of strategies to speed California’s transition to an electric transportation system, including:

  • Extending and improving the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project. The CVRP has been instrumental in facilitating the sale of over 47,000 clean cars in California. The Charge Ahead California legislation seeks to expand funding for the program and to improve access to electric cars for working class households.
  • Financing options and expanded charging infrastructure to increase access for low-income communities. The bill supports new charging infrastructure in multi-unit dwellings. It also boosts car-sharing programs and improves access to credit for electric vehicle purchases, with better financing options to bring down the upfront cost of vehicle ownership for low- and moderate-income consumers.

Bill Magavern, Policy Director for the Coalition for Clean Air, says the campaign has been gaining momentum with Californians. “We have new endorsers coming on to support Charge Ahead California every day. Everybody wants to see California in the driver’s seat when it comes to reducing air pollution and investing in healthier communities.”

SB 1275 is sponsored by the Coalition for Clean Air, Communities for a Better Environment, Environment California, The Greenlining Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The campaign is also endorsed by: American Lung Association in California, Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), Breathe California, Catholic Charities – Stockton Diocese, CALPIRG, CALSTART, California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA), Global Green USA, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles, Sierra Club California, Transform, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

On Twitter: #ChargeAhead