Consultant report

Analyzing the Transition to Electric Drive in California

This study investigates how the transition to electric drive vehicles in California and the rest of the U.S. might be accomplished, and the role of public policy in managing the transition.

Complementing recent work by the National Research Council on the potential for progress in advanced conventional and alternative vehicle technologies, the study assesses the prospects for development of a self-sustaining market under several scenarios, along with how policies—in particular California’s ZEV program—might serve as catalysts for development.

More broadly, the authors hope to contribute to the establishment of a new paradigm within which economically efficient energy transition policies can be formulated by developing and applying such a paradigm to the problem of transitioning light-duty vehicles from petroleum internal combustion engines to electric drive.