Earlier today, I announced a plan that will make Los Angeles and the Southern California region the electric vehicle capital of the world. Make no mistake about it - the electric vehicle is coming and Los Angeles will be ready for its arrival in the Fall 2010 and 2011!
Los Angeles has always been a leader in innovation and embracing change. And the electric car is no exception. Here in LA we are going to build the infrastructure necessary to allow commuters and visitors the ability to seamlessly travel across cities and utility service territories.
There are always two sides of every story and there are certainly two shades of green. And they go together beautifully here in L.A.
The days of stopping at a gas station to spend your heard-earned money on the always-fluctuating price of gas are over. Soon, you will be able to stop at an electric charging station that is not only good for your wallet, but good for the environment too.
I know this might sound too good to be true, but it isn't just an abstract plan; we've already started taking action to make Los Angeles plug-in ready. We have brought manufacturers to Los Angeles and formed a coalition of cities, stakeholders, public/private utilities, automakers, and government organizations that stretch across Southern California.
I have no doubt that there will be challenges in implementing this ambitious task, and I know that Los Angeles will be not able to do this alone. That is why my plan focuses on ensuring the Southern California region works effectively together. In California, we all bear a unique responsibility - as the eighth largest economy in the world, California has the highest ratios of car ownership anywhere in the world. And as the biggest city in California, Los Angeles' roads and freeways are congested with myriad cars each day that impact our local climate by increasing greenhouse gas emissions that worsen our air quality. Los Angeles' plan that encompasses the Southern California region, will hopefully be the template and gold standard to be implemented by other cities and regions.
Today, I pledged that the LA region will grasp this opportunity to shift the paradigm to reduce our reliance on imported oil and create new jobs and new economic development. To learn more about the specifics of how the City will do this, click HERE.
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The electric vehicles that are coming to market starting next year will mostly be charged at night during "off-peak" hours when there is plenty of capacity on the grid. "Time of Use" (TOU) rates will ensure that day time "on-peak" charging is minimal by pricing the energy at night much cheaper.
Nuclear energy is not needed. According to a Dept. of Energy study, http://ene
EVs are the only cars that allow you to use 100% renewable and domestic energy as a power source. EVs are powerful and quiet and emit zero pollutants
One of my favorite things about driving an EV is that I haven't gone to a gas station in 7 years. I've driven over 76,000 miles on energy generated by sunlight falling on my roof where I installed a 3 kW PV system. My electric bill averages about $100 per year, and that covers both my house and car.