In February, the world's best-known plug-in battery-swapping network left California. Now, it looks like the state's not too keen on the concept.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB), which is leading the effort to increase the number of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) in the state in the coming years, is making changes to the ZEV mandate. One such change will exclude battery swapping as a so-called "fast-refueling" technology that helps automakers earn ZEV credits.
CARB is holding a one-day workshop in Sacramento May 20 to review changes to the ZEV plan. The state is shooting for 1.4 million ZEVs – including battery-electrics, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles – to be sold in California by 2014. In February, California detailed its ZEV action plan, which, among other actions, involved subsidizing electric-charging discounts and charging-infrastructure build-out in order to help spur adoption.
Of course, the prospect of a battery-swapping network in the state, never all that likely, got quite a bit dimmer once Better Place, the electric-vehicle battery-swapping technology developer, said earlier this year that it would shut down operations in California and Australia to focus on Europe. Read the note from CARB here (PDF).
The California Air Resources Board (CARB), which is leading the effort to increase the number of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) in the state in the coming years, is making changes to the ZEV mandate. One such change will exclude battery swapping as a so-called "fast-refueling" technology that helps automakers earn ZEV credits.
CARB is holding a one-day workshop in Sacramento May 20 to review changes to the ZEV plan. The state is shooting for 1.4 million ZEVs – including battery-electrics, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles – to be sold in California by 2014. In February, California detailed its ZEV action plan, which, among other actions, involved subsidizing electric-charging discounts and charging-infrastructure build-out in order to help spur adoption.
Of course, the prospect of a battery-swapping network in the state, never all that likely, got quite a bit dimmer once Better Place, the electric-vehicle battery-swapping technology developer, said earlier this year that it would shut down operations in California and Australia to focus on Europe. Read the note from CARB here (PDF).
Sign in to post
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Continue