What becomes of California's waiver process and its ability to set stricter emissions and fuel economy standards will be up to the courts, following moves by the Trump administration. However, that's not stopping the Los Angeles region from pushing onward with big goals.
The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator said last week that its latest zero-emissions roadmap calls for 80% of new cars sold to be of the battery-electric variety by 2028. At the same time, 30% of all light-duty passenger vehicles on the road should be electric by the same time.
That is, frankly, a massive uptick in electric-car adoption. Today, even in California, we're nowhere near those kinds of sales figures for EVs. Part of the reason is charging infrastructure, while the cost of electric cars also remains a concern. However, the LA region and its incubator group believes this plan will serve as a blueprint for cities across the US, and even the world, to adopt in an effort to reduce emissions. How the area plans to speed up EV sales isn't exactly clear, unless EV cost parity with the internal-combustion engine comes sometime next decade, which could very well occur.
Not only does the group's Zero Emissions 2028 Roadmap 2.0 account for more electric cars, it also plans to pursue policies to take more vehicles off the road altogether. The ambitious plan calls for 20% of all trips typically taken in a single occupancy vehicle to switch to zero-emission public transportation, cycling or some other form of transit.
That'll require some investment, which the plan accounts for. It specifically states any public investments into related infrastructure will need to advance these goals for approval. By 2028, the LA region also wants to turn I-710 into a zero-emissions corridor.
Should the area meet these targets, greenhouse gas emissions will fall another 25% atop current plans to cut emissions for cleaner air in the area. This is, not so coincidentally, right at the time the world will get a good look at the area at the 2028 Olympic Games.
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