The San Francisco-Marin EAA chapter prepares to support the new California mandate

The Golden Gate Electric Vehicle Association (GGEVA), a chapter of the Electric Auto Association, has begun to strategize around California Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order mandating that all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the state must be emission-free by 2035. Covering the large swath from San Francisco to Marin County, the chapter is up for the challenge.

“We’re very excited about the opportunity to leverage the new mandate by educating our areas about the benefits of new and used electric vehicles (EVs),” said Miles Maurino, President of the GGEVA. “We have to make sure the public understands that the ban on new gas car purchases will not create an undue financial burden on drivers.”

According to Dale Miler, GGEVA’s past president, the petroleum industry is already asserting that low-income California drivers will be harmed by the executive order.

“This is just not true. It will only impact folks who want to buy a brand new gas car,” explained Miller. “There’s still a huge secondhand market which will only expand with this mandate. We’re already seeing an increase in the number of used EVs available at more affordable prices, and that trend will continue.

Additionally, Miller predicted, the price of used gas vehicles, as well as the cost of gas, are likely to drop, further increasing the purchase power of low-income Californians. 

“Overall, we see this ban on new gas car sales resulting in savings for drivers and a boost to the California economy,” he said. “We’re expecting a significant increase in funds paid to electric utilities, providing much-needed support to the grid and benefitting green collar jobs.”

A legacy of activism

The GGEVA, first formed in 2004, has long been working with local government agencies to promote EVs in the Bay Area, one of the leading locations in the country for advancing clean energy. 

The chapter has provided educational outreach for CleanPowerSF (San Francisco) and MCE (Marin Clean Energy),  two not-for-profit electricity providers formed as part of the nationwide Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) initiative. CCAs are nonprofit public entities formed by local communities to  purchase wholesale power at competitive rates, and CleanPowerSF and MCE programs give customers the choice of drawing between 50 and 100% of their electricity from clean, renewable sources at competitive rates. The 100% mark can be achieved with a home charging station.

The chapter is also affiliated on a policy level with Drawdown: Marin, a community-driven campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as with Marin County in the creation of a Climate Change Action Plan.

“Here in Marin, there’s been a lot of discussion with Drawdown and also at the county level about what we’re doing to reduce carbon output,” said Miller. “The majority of the action has been around transportation issues. This includes getting people into EVs by educating them on how easy it is to do that.”

“Prior to COVID, we were doing a lot of outreach at public events in Marin and San Francisco,” Miller continued, explaining that GGEVA arranged for several car manufacturers, including BMW and Nissan, to bring in their latest models for test drives. This was supplemented by GGEVA  members who participated with their own EVs.

The bridge ahead

GGEVA chapter meetings are held monthly, usually featuring a speaker from the EV world. Online gatherings are drawing between 20 and 25 participants, but the chapter is hoping to resume in person gatherings, typically drawing 25 to 50 members, as soon as COVID restrictions are lifted.

“We’re excited to be part of this very positive electric future in California,” said Miller. “We’re hoping that the 2035 date for the mandate will eventually be moved up to an earlier start to speed up the process of reducing carbon emissions. Having more EVs on the road will only be beneficial for the climate and our health.”