BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: AB 475 SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Butler VERSION: 6/7/11 Analysis by: Mark Stivers FISCAL: yes Hearing date: June 14, 2011 SUBJECT: Vehicle charging DESCRIPTION: This bill allows any vehicle that is connected for electric charging purposes to park in a garage space designated for charging and eliminates the zero-emission vehicle decal program. ANALYSIS: Current law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) decals for the purpose of parking and recharging in designated parking spaces. Cars, trucks, or other vehicles that do not produce tailpipe or evaporative emissions qualify for ZEV decals. Current law also authorizes local authorities and the owners of off-street parking facilities to designate stalls for the exclusive purpose of fueling and parking a vehicle that displays a valid ZEV decal. Vehicles parked in a designated space without a ZEV decal, vehicles blocking a ZEV-designated space, and vehicles that fraudulently display a ZEV decal are subject to citation. In addition, a garage owner, if he or she meets signage requirements and notifies the appropriate police or sheriff's department, may remove (i.e., impound) a vehicle parked in a designated space without a ZEV decal. This bill : Allows local authorities and the owners of off-street parking facilities to designate stalls for the exclusive purpose of charging and parking a vehicle that is connected for electric charging. Expands access to spaces designated for charging to any vehicle that is connected for charging purposes, including AB 475 (BUTLER) Page 2 both purely electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. Eliminates the DMV program to issue ZEV decals and removes the requirement that a vehicle parked in a space designated for electric charging display a decal. COMMENTS: 1.Purpose of the bill . The author's intent is to make current ZEV-designated stalls in off-street parking facilities accessible to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles so that drivers can utilize available charging facilities. Because a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle has a gasoline-powered combustion engine that acts as a back-up to the electric battery, it does not meet the strict definition of a ZEV and is therefore ineligible to park in ZEV-designated spaces. The larger goal is to facilitate the use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and spur their market penetration, which would decrease dependency on fossil fuels and help California meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. 2.The ZEV decal program . DMV states that it has issued only 807 ZEV decals statewide for purely electric vehicles. Were this bill to expand the ZEV decal program to include plug-in hybrid vehicles, this program would likely grow substantially. This bill, however, actually eliminates the decal program and requirement completely. Because only chargeable vehicles may connect to a charging station, and the connection itself will be obvious, there really is no need for a decal. The vehicle itself and the connection will serve as the decal. A garage owner may then remove any vehicle not connected to the charging station for charging purposes. 3.Concerns . One EV advocacy group expressed concern that allowing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to access ZEV-designated stalls could "edge out" strictly electric vehicles because it is likely that plug-in hybrids will significantly outnumber strictly electric vehicles in the foreseeable future. EV advocates argue that strictly electric vehicles have a greater need to access charging facilities due to inherent range limitations and that, if access to charging facilities is uncertain, strictly electric vehicle owners will likely opt to use standard, gasoline-powered combustion engine vehicles to complete required trips, resulting in increased emissions and reduced consumer confidence in strictly electric vehicles. The California League of Cities, on the other hand, notes that ZEV-designated parking stalls generally are AB 475 (BUTLER) Page 3 underutilized in the majority of city-owned garages while noting that antiquated or inoperable charging facilities may be a contributing factor. 4.Technical amendment : On page 3, line 24 strike "currently" Assembly Votes: Floor: 67-7 Appr: 15-0 Trans: 13-0 POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on Wednesday, June 8, 2011) SUPPORT: California Electric Transportation Coalition Sacramento Municipal Utility District Plug In America General Motors OPPOSED: None received.