General Assembly Charging Towards an EV-friendly Future
Among a slew of energy and environment bills proposed by lawmakers this condensed Regular Session, the goal of bolstering the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road has been receiving a lot of noise - and not just from environmental activists.
Late last week, an eclectic mix of ten prominent businesses - including Lyft, Unilever, IKEA, and DHL - added their voice to the call, submitting a letter to Governor Northam and the General Assembly urging the legislature to adopt strong clean car standards that would increase the number of EVs and other low-emission vehicles on the road. Doing so, the authors cited, would draw down personal vehicle emissions (which represent 70% of Virginia’s total transportation-related carbon pollution), bear operational and personal savings to businesses and households, respectively, and reduce harmful air pollution caused by tailpipe exhaust.
The open letter, which can be found here, specifically calls for the passage of Delegate Lamont Bagby’s HB 1965, a bundle of policies collectively entitled the Advanced Clean Cars Program (ACC). If passed, the ACC would implement two significant measures: Low-Emission Vehicle standards, capping greenhouse gas emissions from personal vehicles, and the Zero-Emission Vehicle Program, requiring 8 percent of new passenger vehicle sales be zero-emission vehicles within the next four years (for comparison’s sake, EVs only represent 1.2% of all vehicle sales in Virginia).
The suite of measures within the ACC program has proven to be an effective step in boosting EV sales and availability. California, which created the program in 2012, has inspired thirteen other states and the District of Columbia to adopt the package of regulations, with two more states in the process of adopting it. Collectively, those 16 states and D.C. represent nearly 63% of all EV sales in the U.S., despite constituting under 30% of the total market for personal vehicles. With more than 50% of Virginians “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to consider an EV for their next car, ACC standards can ensure clean vehicles are available for purchase in Virginia to keep that revenue in state, while also aligning the transportation sector - which represents the largest share (45%) of the Commonwealth’s carbon emissions - with Virginia’s goal of a carbon-free electricity sector by midcentury.
Yesterday, HB 1965 reported from [passed] the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee! This is a huge win, but the bill still has an uphill battle through the rest of the House and the Senate.
If the General Assembly eventually adopts the ACC program, the new standards will take effect in 2025 - enough time, proponents of the ACC argue, for vehicle dealers to adjust to the regulations. Two other bills poised to complement the impacts of the ACC are also currently circulating in the GA; Delegate Reid’s HB 1979, which would create a rebate program for new and used EVs, and Senator Boysko’s SB 1223, which would compel a needs analysis of EV charging infrastructure and other infrastructure needed to support ambitions to cut the transportation sector to net-zero carbon emissions.