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Discounts for Cleaner Cars
Reducing sticker shock and global warming at the same time
Transportation accounts for over 40% of the global warming emissions in California. If we are to make a serious dent in those emissions levels, then we need to make cleaner, more efficient, affordable cars and trucks available to consumers.
Assembly Bill 493 (Ruskin) would create the Clean Car Discount Program, which would require the State Air Resources Board to create and implement a clean vehicle incentive program by doing one very simple thing: putting cleaner cars and trucks on the road by making them more affordable. (See a chart of the estimated surcharges and rebates.) This innovative program is a market-based solution that will give one-time rebates on purchases of new vehicles that meet low emissions standards. The rebates will be funded by one-time surcharges on new vehicles that emit higher levels of pollutants. In addition, the program will have compounding benefits—incentives to consumers will help increase demand for low polluting cars, which in turn will encourage manufacturers to produce more of them.
The Clean Car Discount Program makes sense for California.
- The program will reduce both global warming and smog-forming pollutant emissions.
- The California Clean Car Discount is an incentive-based proposal that protects consumer vehicle choice while helping families who want to purchase a low-polluting new vehicle.
- The program is self-funded and revenue-neutral; rebates and administrative costs are fully funded by the revenue collected from surcharges.
- Over 40% of the 1.7 million new vehicles sold in California annually will be eligible for a rebate; another 20% will not be affected at all.
- Automakers have the technology now; this program provides the catalyst they need to make clean cars affordable.
- According to a recent poll, 2 out of every 3 Californians are demanding that automakers provide cleaner car choices.
- Low-income buyers and small business owners are exempt from surcharges.
With the U.S. E.P.A.’s recent denial of the waiver for California to regulate greenhouse gases from vehicles, AB 493 becomes an even more vital tool to reduce global warming pollution from cars and trucks.
What You Can Do
AB 493 is being considered in the Assembly. Please call or fax your Assemblymember, urging her or him to vote in support of this bill and give consumers cleaner choices when purchasing cars and trucks.
See our sample letter and send one to your Assemblymember!
Your Assemblymember
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 319-20_ _
Fax: (916) 319-21_ _
(fill in the last two digits with your Assembly district number)
To find out who your Assemblymember is, go directly to the Legislature's "Find Your Representatives" page and enter your address in the form in the bottom left corner of the page.
