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California Plans Full Zero-Emission Public Transport in 20 Years

The Golden State has been for years recognized as one of the most forward-thinking states in the world, especially when it comes to embracing the new environmentally friendly technologies.
All buses in California to be green by 2040 1 photo
Photo: wikipedia.com
Very welcoming to electric cars and alternative means of propulsion, California is getting ready to get its commitment for a better world to a whole new level in the coming decades.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) decided last on Friday week to enforce new eco-minded measures, this time targeted at public transport companies that operate in the state.

CARB is said to have asked transit agencies across the state to shift to emissions-free fleets of buses within 20 years. The decision will be backed by banning the purchase of new gas- or diesel-powered public transit buses by 2029 and the mandatory retirement of existing ones by 2040.

Estimates made by the organization are that the decision will result in the reduction of the number of CO2 emitting buses by 14,000 vehicles. That's a huge number, considering buses and trucks account for only 7 percent of vehicles registered in California, but are responsible for no less than 20 percent of harmful emissions.

Taking so many polluting buses off the roads will account for an estimated reduction of 1 million metric tons of CO2 by 2040.

As per the source, there are currently only 150 zero-emissions buses in operation in the state, meaning the task of finding 14,000 of them will not be easy.

There are only so many bus manufacturers currently producing electric or other alternative-powered buses, that's why CARB opted for a long-term plan instead of a quick push for the implementation of this strategy.

On the other hand, the current federal government's battle to reverse the decisions taken on account of global warming by both the former administration and local governments might impede with such long-term plans.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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