Eight States Pledge to Promote Use of Electric Cars, Zero-Emission Cars

Eight states pledged to promote the use of electric cars and zero-emission cars Thursday to help reach the goal of having 3.3 million units occupy the highways by 2025.

Zero emission cars are one of the foreseeable ways to combat global warming. However, Alec Gutierrez, a senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book, told Mercury News, "As it stands today, zero-emission vehicles remain out of reach for the typical budget-conscious consumer, especially when compared to far more affordable compact and subcompact cars.” He added, "Until battery costs come down, electric-vehicle range increases, and infrastructure to support zero-emission vehicles improves, we expect to see market share continue to grow at a snail's pace in the short term."

Governors from California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont signed a pledge that could not just help persuade people to buy electric cars or plug-in hybrids, but also to support a call on the provision of more public charging stations and other forms of encouragement to increase sales.

Even if the pledge is not obligatory, the governors expressed that they are signing the pledge to aid in the promotion of electric cars and non-polluting vehicles to help curb the emission of carbon footprint.

"This is not just an agreement but a serious and profoundly important commitment," Governor Jerry Brown of California said in a statement. "From coast to coast, we're charging ahead to get millions of the world's cleanest vehicles on our roads."

Susan Griffin, a member of the board of the American Lung Association, commended the multistate agreement. She told Mercury News that zero-emission cars are key to improving air quality, thus, preventing harmful health impacts caused by vehicle exhaust and traffic congestion.

The governors pledged to take "specific actions" such as altering building codes so that planting charging stations for these cars will be easier and encouraging decreased electric rates for home charging.