With the price of gasoline and with the problems with clean air it's important we get electric vehicles out on the road. On California roads there are about two thousand electric cars. By 2003, ten percent of all new cars may be required to have zero emissions. This is mandate automakers say is way ahead of its time. Automakers blame it on the batteries.
Batteries are expensive and carmakers say there is nothing they can do about it.
Now car manufacturers want the California Air Resources Board to relax the 10 percent mandate. If not, they say people won't be able to afford electric cars that aren't heavily subsidized. Twice since then, the state relaxed regulations when automakers complained they couldn't meet the requirements. Michael Schwabe believes other drivers would take off in electric cars if only carmakers would make them available.