A California Story

California has this committee or board that they call the California Air Resources Board.  Basically, they have the authority to meet, develop new rules and control a great deal of the state's future.  Their agenda?  Mostly to make fresh clean air.  This week....they made up a state rule that required by 2025.....one in seven cars new cars sold in the state must be electric or zero-emission.

Most dealers and car companies went along with this rule established.  The used car folks?  Well....they spoke and said that this would change sales in some ways....that they weren't entirely happy with the deal.

You can imagine the scene in 2026....you want a regular car....at the right price, and you can't get it as a resident of California.  So you drive over to Vegas....price non zero-emission car, buy it, and drive it home that night to your place in California.  I'm guessing an entire market will start up by that point.  You chat with Norm, a new Ford dealer in Montana.....he has the vehicle at the right price.  He puts it on a flatbed trailer and brings it to the state border of California....and you pick it up there.  I suspect half the new vehicles in California will be bought out of state by that point.

Electric cars have one serious problem....in that you are going to charge them up with electrical power.  If you knew the cost of a nightly charge on your vehicle....and your monthly electrical bill was going to approach five times what you currently pay....you might be laughing over the silly idea of electrical vehicles.  If you note your electrical charges over the last five years....they move up almost yearly.  Your consumption might be the same as five years ago, but general cost spirals upward.  You toss in thirty evenings of a charge on your vehicle.....and it just might not be that practical.

The non-emission car?  There aren't many negative comments....except they continually have to be tuned up.  If you only have a once a year inspection to worry about....with $300 likely going to your mechanic to ensure your zero-emission car passes the inspection....maybe that's ok.

I suspect that folks will ask stupid questions as we approach 2025, and eventually realize what this board really did.  They might have good intentions, but the end result might shock folks.