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Colorado to Establish Low Emissions Vehicle Program

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Independence Pass in Colorado
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Colorado is taking strides to follow in the footsteps of California when it comes to instituting legislation to promote cleaner cars. This past Monday, Governor John Hickenlooper ordered the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment to initiate a Low Emission Vehicle program.

The program is styled similarly to California’s stricter standards rather than the more lax federal regulations that currently guide the rest of the country’s emissions policies. According to Wired contributor Alex Davies, the Low Emission Vehicle program borrows the trajectory that the EPA set for the nation back during the Obama administration. The entity required that each automaker’s fleet achieve about 36 mpg on average by the year 2025.

Colorado’s goal is to curb greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2025. It’s an ambitious goal for a state whose mountainous topography triggers many residents to prefer trucks and SUVs to more efficient vehicles.


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Clean air

Photo: NGerda

Governor Hickenlooper expressed confidence in the state’s decision. “Every move we make to safeguard our environment is a move in the right direction.”

If more states follow in California and Colorado’s wake, the EPA might have to rethink its recent emissions standards roll back. It had cleared California’s decision based on the premise that the state boasts the nation’s largest market for vehicles. If a manufacturer designs a clean car for California, this version meets other state’s emissions regulations, since California has the strictest emissions standards to date.

We commend Colorado for its more rigorous Low Emission Vehicle program and anticipate more states following in its lead in the days ahead. It seems like only a natural progression, as the electric vehicle trend continues to surge.


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News Source: WIRED