Delaware adopts California’s Zero Emission Vehicle standards

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Delaware recently adopted California’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulations, Gov. John Carney announced.

“By adopting the ZEV regulations, Delaware drivers won’t have to go out of state to find an electric vehicle to purchase, and our dealerships will benefit by keeping Delaware customers in Delaware,” Carney said. “By creating a better environment for the sale and purchase of electric vehicles, and aligning the environment with massive investments in infrastructure from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we will create a positive electric vehicle future in our state.”

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will manage the ZEV program. Implementing the regulations will help reduce carbon pollution, improve air quality and help support fuel savings, the agency said.

The program ensures a certain percentage of the vehicles delivered for sale in a state are ZEV vehicles to accelerate the commercialization of battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell electric vehicles. For each delivered vehicle, manufacturers receive credits. Annually, they must meet a ZEV credit amount based on that year’s average sales.

Implementation will begin with model year 2027 to allow manufacturers time to prepare dealerships and adjust inventories.

The state’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions is transportation. Thirteen other states have implemented the regulations.