Tesla, Lucid, Rivian, and others join forces to create ZETA: a push for electric cars only by 2030

Original article published in Electrek

November 17, 2020 – Fred Lambert

Twenty-eight companies in the electric vehicle industry, including big names like Tesla, Lucid, and Rivian, have joined forces to create a new organization called ZETA, with the goal to push for 100% electric vehicle sales by 2030.

Several markets have recently announced plans to move new car sales to electric vehicles only.

These initiatives, also referred to as bans on the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles, have taken many forms on different timelines.

Most recently, we saw California move to put in place a plan to ban new gasoline-powered vehicle sales by 2035.

Now, 28 companies in the electric vehicle business are asking for an even bigger goal to be put in place: 100% electric vehicle sales throughout the light-, medium-, and heavy-duty sectors by 2030.

They created the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) to push the effort at a national level in the US.

Joe Britton, who spent 15 years working in the U.S. Senate, has been named Executive Director of ZETA.

He commented:

“For the first time in a generation, transportation is the leading emitter of U.S. carbon emissions. By embracing EVs, federal policymakers can help drive innovation, create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and improve air quality and public health. ZETA’s formation recognizes a pivotal moment for national leadership and reflects the will of the growing clean transportation sector.”

Britton added:

“The next decade will be critical in implementing federal policies that accelerate the transition to zero emissions vehicles and help address these problems head-on. The clean vehicle sector already boasts hundreds of thousands of jobs but, if we encourage its growth, the United States can decisively win the global race to develop a new clean transportation economy and employ hundreds of thousands of Americans right here at home.”

Here are some of the things ZETA plans to push for as an organization:

1. Outcome-driven consumer EV incentives. Point-of-sale consumer incentives drive adoption, provide cost reductions, and achieve real results in pushing transportation electrification. In addition, incentivizing early retirements while encouraging EV adoption will speed the transition and meet the urgency of the moment.
2. Emissions/performance standards enabling full electrification by 2030. Emission targets are a key piece of protecting public health and sending the correct market signals to support and accelerate the transition to zero-emission transportation.
3. Infrastructure investments. Strong federal charging infrastructure investments will drive the electric transportation transition and ensure that the United States is leading the way in a clean recovery where everyone is better off.
4. Domestic manufacturing. We should not only accelerate US transportation electrification but also work to ensure that we secure domestic economic growth and leadership in EV manufacturing. Federal policies must encourage job creation and economic activity across the entire EV supply chain and lifecycle, from critical materials to vehicles.
5. Federal leadership and cooperation with sub-national entities. Federal support should invest in research and development, provide an aligned vision for electrification, and ensure local leaders are empowered with the expertise and resources to support full vehicle electrification.

Here are the 28 founding members of ZETA:

• ABB
• Albemarle Corporation
• Arrival
• ChargePoint
• ConEdison
• Copper Development Association, Inc.
• Duke Energy
• Edison International
• Enel X
• EVBox
• EVgo
• Ioneer
• Li-Cycle
• Lordstown Motors
• Lucid Motors
• Piedmont Lithium
• PG&E Corporation
• Proterra
• Redwood Materials
• Rivian
• Siemens
• Southern Company
• SRP
• Tesla
• Vistra
• Volta
• Uber
• WAVE