As part of the $14.7 billion settlement with U.S. owners and regulators over its emissions-cheating scandal, Volkswagen has to log some public service?10 years of it, to the tune of at least $2 billion of investments supporting electric vehicles.
While the settlement lays out how and when the automaker will make good with the U.S. EPA, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is a separate entity, and it’s getting 40 percent of that make-good cash, or $800 million. So the Golden State has launched into a process of laying some additional ground rules?or at the very least, some strong guidelines?over how VW is to spend that money.
To that end, CARB has put together a list of priorities, which it calls California?s Initial Guiding Principles for VW ZEV [Zero-Emission Vehicle] Investments. Those were revealed last week. Later this week, on December 8, there will be a board hearing. Until December 16, the whole issue is open for public comment. California-Specific Priorities
The California agency specifies that 25 percent of the funds should go toward programs serving disadvantaged communities. Other California-centric examples include programs that scrap older vehicles and replace them with ZEVs, provide zero-emission transit services, or involve ride-hailing services that serve disadvantaged communities. The agency also asks that VW?s investments ?demonstrate corporate social responsibility and a cradle-to-grave sustainable business case.?
Priorities for infrastruc...