Also known as a carbon credit, carbon pricing, carbon cap and trade, or low carbon fuel standard, LCFS represent a rule enacted to reduce carbon intensity in transportation fuels as compared to conventional petroleum fuels, such as gasoline and diesel. The main purpose of a low-carbon fuel standard is to decrease Co2 emissions in order to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation.

Electric vehicle drivers continue to grow in increasing large percentages. Electric vehicle drivers choose their destinations based on the availability of electric car charging and they tend to base their routines on those destinations, so they can charge their car while they shop, dine, and visit. EV car charging helps attract and keep new customers while building a steady revenue stream from repeat buyers with higher spending capacity. EV drivers also prefer locations that offer workplace charging as a benefit.

Various state and federal programs help support the development, awareness and use of alternative fuels and advanced transportation technologies. Education and outreach initiatives include workshops, meetings, conferences and communication campaigns highlighting the benefits of using clean transportation.
US Department of Energy – Alternative Fuels Data Center: provides information, data, and tools to help fleets and other transportation decision makers find ways to reach their energy and economic goals through the use of alternative and renewable fuels, advanced vehicles, and other fuel-saving measures.
California Air Resources Board: CARB is working with air districts, community groups and members, environmental organizations, and regulated industries to reduce exposure in communities most impacted by air pollution.
NC Clean Energy: provides technical assistance in the form of trainings fleet assessments, and the distribution of grant funding to help procure clean transportation vehicles and infrastructure.

More than 250 million vehicles consume millions of barrels of petroleum every day in the United States. On-road passenger travel alone accounts for more than 2.5 trillion vehicle miles traveled each year. Vehicle fleet managers, drivers, corporate decision makers, sustainability managers, and public transportation planners can use multiple strategies to conserve fuel and improve their bottom line:

• Find ways to save fuel and money by idling less.
• Outfitting fleet vehicles with devices that save fuel.
• State & Federal financial incentives for purchasing/converting EV’s and/or charging units.
• Work with building code mandates of new construction including EV-ready wiring.
• Obtain HOV (carpool) lane access for EVs, waiver of emissions inspections, or sales tax
• Smart grid planning as well as time-of-use metering programs from utilities with lower rates

An Electric Vehicles (EV) does not have an internal combustion engine like conventional vehicles that use gasoline or diesel fuel. EVs do not emit tail pipe pollution or require oil changes.
PEV or BEV (Plug-In or Battery Electric Vehicle): BEV’s have no gasoline engine and run exclusively on the energy stored in the on-board batteries which are recharged by plugging in to an electrical outlet source for a quantity of minutes or hours.
FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle): FCEV’s use an electric motor that converts hydrogen into electricity. These vehicles offer fast refueling times and long driving ranges—but also require hydrogen refueling stations.
PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle): PHEV’s are powered through a combination of gasoline and electricity. PHEV’s uses an electric motor to power its drive-train. Plug-in hybrids, run on electricity for a certain number of miles, and as their battery runs out of charge, a gasoline powered engine or generator kicks in.

It’s noteworthy that vehicle emissions are now the largest source of carbon pollution, a key driver of climate change.  Upgrading clean transportation continues to cut climate pollution, create new jobs, significantly reduce asthma attacks and preventable deaths, and put many billions of dollars back into our economy.

Yes. In California alone, Clean Transportation Programs have helped to avoid many tens of millions of tons of carbon emissions.  In British Columbia, their program has accounted for 25% of the province’s annual emissions reductions between 2007-2012, which is a reduction of 900,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year. The existence of a Carbon Intensity (CI) limit on lifecycle emissions means that emissions continue to decrease.