EVLN(CA Senate passes Bill providing $18m to ease EV purchase)

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EVLN(CA Senate passes Bill providing $18m to ease EV purchase)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV informational
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 --- {EVangel}
Bill providing $18 million to ease cost of electric vehicles passes
Senate 08/31/2000 Associated Press Newswires Copyright 2000.  The
Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Legislation authorizing state grants of up to $9,000
to encourage consumers to buy or lease electric vehicles was approved
by the Senate on Thursday.

The measure by Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, is designed
to soften the impact of the higher prices of the clean-running autos. 
It would enable individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations and
government agencies to get up to $3,000 a year for the first three
years when they lease or buy an electric vehicle.

The actual size of the grant would be based on a percentage of the
extra cost of the electric vehicle over the price of a comparable
gasoline-powered auto, up to a maximum of $9,000.

Lowenthal's bill allocates $18 million to the state Air Resources
Board to pay for the program.

Advocates say it's almost impossible to get an electric vehicle in
California now. But ARB regulations require that, starting with 2003
models, up to 10 percent of new cars and light trucks marketed in the
state by major manufacturers be zero-emission vehicles.

The board is scheduled to decide next week whether to keep, modify or
throw out the regulations.

Currently, only battery-powered electric vehicles would qualify as
zero emission and be eligible for grants under the Lowenthal bill.

ARB staffers estimate electric vehicles will cost about $7,500 to
$20,000 more to produce than gasoline-powered cars, not counting
research and development expenses.

The cost gap will narrow as technology improves and manufacturers move
to volume production, the staff said in a recent report recommending
state subsidies to ease the price gap.

The Senate voted 29-8 to approve the Lowenthal bill and return it to
the Assembly for consideration of Senate amendments.
----
On the Net: Read the bill, AB2061, on the Senate Web page at
www.sen.ca.gov.
[ 
http://info.sen.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_2061&sess=CUR&house=B&site=sen] ...
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Copyright 1998 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Tel# 415-621-7432 Fax:415-552-9430
1390 Market, Suite 318 Fox Plaza, SF, CA 94012 USA
Contact: Steve Elliot for Email Web access for AP.
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  EAA San Jose EVents Officer http://eaaev.org/sjeaa            ____
 Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter   http://eaaev.org/brucedp        __/o|__\~
'Electric cruis'n the Santa Clara Valley'    Get Amp'd =)---'@ -----@'

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