Only a week after being publicly proposed, California Democratic Assemblywoman Autumn Burke’s proposal that 15% of all new cars sold in the state be emissions-free by 2025 has been scuppered, according to recent reports.

Why? Because of there being “steeper opposition than she expected,” according to a spokeswoman for the assemblywoman by the name of Allison Ruff.

Ruff noted that the “steep” opposition came “from a variety of groups including the Western States Petroleum Association.”

The Western States Petroleum Association is, of course, a representative of the oil industry.

The proposal, AB1108, was put forward last week by Burke with the comment that the state’s current zero-emissions vehicle mandates were insufficient if the goal was to spur auto manufacturers to truly invest in electric vehicle technologies. In other words, the current mandates lead to nothing but compliance cars, that are often sold at a loss and barely promoted.

SCPR provides more, noting that, “AB1108 would have made plug-in hybrid vehicles, which include a gas engine, ineligible to comply with the mandate. Automakers characterized the legislation as a giveaway to Tesla Motors, the largest seller of electric vehicles last year.”

Well, that may be, but that’s simply because none of the leading auto manufacturers have put any real effort into producing viable EVs, leaving a void that Tesla has now admirably filled.

Any of the the top manufacturers (Ford, GM, Toyota, etc.) could have put real investment into the matter years ago, and then they would be the ones benefiting, wouldn’t they? Instead, it’s Tesla. Most efforts to date from automakers have been token ones, and/or a necessity because of the threat that Tesla is now posing with the success of the Model S and the soon-to-be-success of the Model 3.

Image by Cynthia Shahan