The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will decide next month whether to keep, change, or toss out regulations requiring that at least 10 percent of the new cars and light trucks offered for sale in the state emit little or no pollution by 2003. As the regulations stand, at least 4 percent of the new autos will have to be zero-emission; right now, only battery-powered electric vehicles fit that bill. Industry advocates like the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers say consumers won’t buy EVs at that rate — about 22,000 a year — because of their relatively high cost and short driving range. But the CARB chair yesterday suggested the regulations will stay in place, arguing that they are needed to improve air quality and protect health in the state. The CARB staff has recommended a few years of state subsidies as a way to lower the cost of EVs for consumers.
