California leads the nation in plug-in car sales, but the state isn’t resting on its laurels to maintain dominance in the emerging market for zero tailpipe emission vehicles. Read More
Latest Posts from Don Anair
Subscribe to Don's posts
Are Some Californians Paying Too Much to Charge their Plug-in Vehicles?
September 24th, 2012
A recent survey of electric vehicle (EV) owners shows that a significant number of Californians may be leaving hundreds of dollars a year in fuel-cost savings on the table. The survey by the California Center for Sustainable Energy suggests that more than a third of EV owners in some utility territories may not be on the utility rate plan that would save them the most money. Read More
California Charts a Course for Clean Air: Can We Get There from Here?
September 11th, 2012
Imagine that 8 out of 10 cars on California roads release no tailpipe emissions, that the telltale exhaust plumes of soot from ships sailing into our ports are no longer visible, and that freight trains run on electricity. These are a few examples of what California air quality regulators, including the Air Resources Board and the air districts of the San Joaquin Valley and South Coast regions, envision in the recently released Vision for Clean Air. Read More
Future State of Charge: How Clean Will Electric Vehicles Get?
August 13th, 2012
The longer you own an electric vehicle, the lower its global warming emissions are likely to become. Why? As some of the oldest, dirtiest coal plants are being retired and investments in renewable electricity increase, the global warming emissions that result from generating a given amount of electricity are estimated to fall nationwide by an average of about 13 percent by 2025. Read More
California Gives a Boost to Electric Vehicles, Approves $27 Million in Consumer Rebates
July 16th, 2012
Seeing an electric vehicle driving down the street isn’t really a novelty anymore, at least not in the San Francisco Bay Area. I no longer do a double take whenever I spot a Chevy Volt or a Nissan LEAF. Granted, there are far more gas-powered vehicles on the road, but it’s clear that electric vehicles have finally hit the streets. And more and more automakers are offering electric variants for consumers to choose from. Read More
Charging an Electric Car in California? Save Money with the Right Rate Plan.
May 23rd, 2012
Californians will soon have a few more electric vehicle options to choose from. Ford has started shipping the electric Focus to dealers in California, New York and New Jersey this week. And California EV maker Tesla announced last week that its Model S will soon roll off the assembly line, earlier than previously announced. For those who snag an early Model S, a Focus Electric, or any other plug-in EV, charging up at home will impact their electricity bill. And for EV drivers who live in California, choosing the right electricity rate plan can mean the difference of up to $1,000 a year in fuel-cost savings. Read More
“State of Charge” Frequently Asked Questions
May 7th, 2012
Our new report on electric vehicles, State of Charge: Electric Vehicles’ Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings Across the United States, has been out for a couple of weeks now and we’ve gotten a lot of great comments from folks and some pretty exciting media coverage, as well as some interesting analysis of the media coverage. We’ve responded to a number of questions from interested readers on our blog and wanted to share some of the common questions and answers all in one place. So here are the Frequently Asked Questions on State of Charge: Read More
The “State of Charge” of Electric Vehicles: Good and Getting Better
April 16th, 2012
Today UCS released State of Charge, a new report on electric vehicles that gives a snapshot of the global warming benefits and fuel costs savings that this technology currently offers. The results are in, and the news is positive. Electric vehicles (EVs) are a good choice for lowering global warming emissions from driving, no matter where in the U.S. you live, and driving on electricity can save drivers upwards of $1,000 per year in fuel costs. Read More
Support for EVs – Key to Cutting Oil Dependence and Pain at the Pump
March 8th, 2012
Yesterday, President Obama announced proposals for continued support of advanced car and truck technologies, including EVs and other alternative fuel vehicles, as well as infrastructure needed to support these vehicles. These proposals, and others like it, are essential for advancing technology that can help alleviate pain at the pump and dependence on oil. Read More
What Makes a Car a Truck and Why it Matters for Fuel Economy
January 24th, 2012
When I was growing up, we called vehicles like the Honda CRV, the Toyota Rav4, and the Ford Escape “station wagons.” But that’s not very cool today, so instead they are called “crossover” vehicles—a mix between an SUV and a car. Read More
