Partial-Zero-Emission Vehicles: Eco-Friendly Cars Exclusive to Certain Areas

You'd like to buy a new car, one that gets great gas mileage and emits almost zero emissions. Well, you probably can't, because the government won't let you, even though these kind of cars are available.

If you don't live in California or the Northeast, partial-zero-emission vehicles can't be sold in your state. So, thinks you, I'll just go buy one and bring it back to the state where I live. Sorry, can't do that either. Under the so called "Clean Air Act", which was, and is, a lot of wheeling and dealing, and probably bedfellowing, between auto makers and government officials who are supposed to be looking out for the betterment of the populous, anyone, (dealer, automaker and consumer) is subject to possible fines up to $27,500.00 if they sell or buy a PZEV outside the selected areas.

PZEV's don't necessarily get better gas mileage than their conventional model cousins but it might just be possible to sleep better at night and breathe better during the day, if more of us had access to them.

How clean are these cars? If you mow your lawn for an hour with a gas powered mower, you pollute the atmosphere more than if you'd driven 2,000 miles in a PZEV. Grilling one burger puts more pollution in the atmosphere than a three hour drive in a PZEV. According to the California Air Resources Board, the tailpipe emissions of a PZEV car can be cleaner than the outside air in smoggy cities and Honda has a new six cylinder in their Accord model that's cleaner than many hybrid vehicles.
The catch is: can't buy any of these cars unless you live in the selected states. Why? Ask your congressman.

When the Clean Air Act was established, none of the cars made in the US could meet the proposed emission standards. Remember when President Bush said the California couldn't require automakers to meet near zero or zero emissions, California told him to take a hike and GM sent all their electric vehicles to the crusher? At that time, many of the vehicles made in Japan and Europe already met the standards.