Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 68, No. 13 - March 28, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............3
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................4
Classifieds............................3
Entertainment......................2
Food.......................................2
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Lawndale..............................4
Legals............................. 4,6,7
Pets........................................5
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Mostly
Sunny
66˚/53˚
Saturday
Sunny
71˚/57˚
Sunday
Mostly
Sunny
76˚/58˚
The Weekly Newspaper of Inglewood
District Spelling Bee Winners
Tyler Wilson of La Tijera Charter School, Fabian Sanchez-Gamboa of Oak Street Elementary, Sicely Lomeli of Oak Street Elementary and Ali Yonis of Hudnall Elementary were all honored as District Spelling
Bee winners! Photo: Inglewood USD
South Bay Not Making Much
Headway on Electric Vehicle Goal
By Rob McCarthy
South Bay drivers and fleet owners are
supposed to have 33,000 electric vehicles
on the road in six years. California figures
that’s a fair expectation since the South Bay
represents slightly more than 2 percent of the
state’s registered drivers. The current number
of the alternative-fuel vehicles -- known as
EVs -- is less than 4,000 across the South Bay.
Sacramento is counting on individual
motorists, businesses and local governments
to make the switch from gas-powered cars,
trucks and buses to electric-powered vehicles
before 2025. That’s the target date for having
1.5 million EVs on the road in California.
The race to reduce carbon emissions and coax
more buyers into battery-operated vehicles
began in earnest in 2006 and continued with
former Gov. Jerry Brown issuing an executive
order in January 2018 that state and local
governments take the lead to increase EV use.
Currently, there are about 3,800 electric
vehicles in the South Bay, according to the
South Bay Cities Council of Governments.
The organization keeps an updated count of
EV ownership in the South Bay and lists each
city’s number of zero-emission vehicles. For
the benefit of EV owners, the organization
also shows the location of nearby charging
stations.
Hawthorne has 123 electric vehicles in
operation and a goal of reaching 3,274 of the
zero-emission cars by the 2025 target date,
according to the quasi-governmental group.
Inglewood motorists own 78 EVs, and must
reach 4,588 over the next 60 months. Lawndale
residents account for 36 zero-emission
vehicles now. Their target is 1,186.
Clearly, South Bay city leaders and state
agencies will need to put the pedal to the
metal to reach the state requirements for
clean-running transportation. El Segundo residents
have put 113 EVs into operation so far.
The state is demanding 739 battery-powered
cars or trucks be registered in the city. The
city of Carson has one of the larger targets
-- 3,217 – and has just 106 EVs owned and
operated in the city now. These numbers are
just a first phase.
The number of electric vehicles in the state
must be 5 million by the end of the next
decade, according to Brown’s directive. It’s
unclear what, if any penalties, cities would
face for not reaching their EV goals. State
agencies and officials are tasked with working
with local governments and private industry
to create 250,000 charging stations for the
EVs. What will it take for the South Bay to
reach the state’s ambitious goals for individual
drivers and fleet owners? Higher confidence
by the driving public and continued tax and
price incentives to attract first-time electric
vehicle buyers who worry about running out
of juice and getting stranded. Studies done
on EVs have shown there is little difference
between a gas engine and a battery-powered
one for most commuters. The need to drive
longer distances is a real concern among
consumers when considering an EV purchase.
A summary of findings from the South
Bay Cities Council of Governments, which
began researching the EVs five years ago
and makes comparisons against gas-powered
vehicles, noted the average household reduces
their emissions by 40 percent when a
battery-powered vehicle is introduced in the
family. These EVs can be swapped out for a
gas-powered engine for normal distances and
destinations, according to the study’s findings.
“Most participants used their homes or
workplaces to charge their vehicles” using a
100-volt outlet, researchers reported. The EVs
can keep up with the speed of traffic, too.
Battery electric vehicles are “full-speed
vehicles” which have a typical range of 80
to 90 miles before they need to be recharged,
said the authors of the December 2017 study.
The federal government offers a tax credit
of up to $7,500 on the purchase of a new
electric vehicle or hybrid, according to the
U.S. Department of Energy website. The
credit amount is based on the capacity of
the battery used to power the vehicle. The
EV tax credit can be applied to an individual
or couple’s federal tax return to lower the
amount of taxes owed or increase the size
of a refund. Used vehicles do not qualify,
and the tax credit on a leased EV is given
to the leasing company, according to the
Energy Department.
State residents also are eligible for a $7,000
rebate from the state for purchase or lease
of an all-electric or hybrid vehicle. As long
as funds are available, eligible California
residents can follow a simple process to
apply for a CVRP rebate after purchasing
or leasing a vehicle that qualifies through
the program.
The California Air Resources Board also
offers incentives for public fleets, with a
standard CVRP rebate for all California
public entities. Other high-value incentives
are given to local governments and agencies
in vulnerable and pollution-burdened areas.
“Public agencies are eligible for up to 30
vehicle rebates annually. Some fleets may
See Electric Vehicle, page 8