Electric, hybrid car sales up, California auto emissions down

California continues to lead the country in transportation efficiency, says the Green Innovation Index, a new study on energy use and emissions by the nonprofit group Next 10.

The Green Innovation Index shows statewide registrations of alternative fuel vehicles rising 16% from 2011 to 2012, at a time when all California vehicle registrations increased by only 1.5%.

Those registrations included 91,000 alternative fuel vehicles, which now make up 2.3% of all vehicles registered in the state -- up from 1.6% in 2009 and .03% in 2000.

Electric vehicle registrations were up 20.6% over the same period.

Why does it matter? According to the study, transportation is responsible for 37% of all California’s emissions. And two-thirds of tailpipe emissions comes from passenger vehicles.
The study concluded that increased adoption of lower-emissions vehicles is having an incremental effect on air quality -- small, but measurable.

“While overall emissions increased in 2012, transportation emissions declined 0.6 percent compared to 2011,” the study said.