Max Baumhefner | Clean Fleet Report

California Helps Drivers Plug-in and Replace Clunkers with Cleaner Cars

March 16, 2019September 18, 2013 by Max Baumhefner

To transform the vehicle fleet, you need to work on both ends — accelerating the purchase of cleaner new vehicles and the retirement of old clunkers. The California legislature is sending a package of bills to Governor Brown’s desk that does just that. Taken as a whole, these policies will ensure Californians at all income levels enjoy the environmental, public health, and financial benefits of cleaner, more efficient vehicles.

Electric Cars Are Cleaner Today and Will Only Get Cleaner Tomorrow

June 9, 2024August 12, 2013 by Max Baumhefner

Numerous peer-reviewed articles have reached the same conclusion — from cradle to grave, electric cars are the cleanest vehicles on the road today. And unlike cars that rely on oil, the production of which is only getting dirtier over time, the environmental benefits of electric cars will continue to improve as old coal plants are replaced with cleaner sources and manufacturing becomes more efficient as it scales up to meet growing consumer demand.

Wall Street Journal Op-Ed Needs a Better Accountant

November 19, 2019March 12, 2013 by Max Baumhefner

Rebuttal of a misleading Wall Street Journal op-ed that trashes clean cars.

Good and Green Reasons to Consider an Electric Car This Year

March 16, 2019March 6, 2013 by Max Baumhefner

A pair of environmentalists dismiss some of the common misconceptions that prevent the eco-conscious from buying electric cars.

Tesla/NY Times Factual Dispute Reveals Different Truth

March 16, 2019February 16, 2013 by Max Baumhefner

The dispute between the New York Times and Tesla over the failed test drive is unfortunate. Looking past it reveals some important truths about the electric vehicle ownership experience.

Your Personal Energy Independence

June 27, 2024November 29, 2012 by Max Baumhefner

New paper explores the connections between electric cars and clean energy, and describes options to accelerate the markets for both.

Electric Car Sales Increase 228%

October 28, 2020October 31, 2012 by Max Baumhefner

Model year 2012 is the year of the green car, with record fleet fuel economy, record high hybrid sales, and a 228% increase in plug-in electric car sales. While it’s true that plug-in electric car sales still represent a very small fraction of total auto sales, model year 2012 saw about 38,000 Americans buying plug-in cars. The Chevy Volt, often described by critics as a failure, falls right in the middle of the pack, outselling half the cars, trucks, and SUVs on the market.

What if You Could Choose Your Fuel?

July 29, 2020October 11, 2012 by Max Baumhefner

Gas prices in California are finally starting to drop after a series of record highs, following a fire at a Chevron refinery and a power outage at an Exxon Mobil facility, hurting Californians at the pump, and leading to calls for investigations into price manipulation. Of course, you’ve read this story many times before. Now, imagine the same series of events, but with a crucial difference ― your car has the ability to run on multiple fuels. What if, instead of just driving around for the gas station that has the least painful price, you could choose between fuels, and switch to an alternative when the price of gasoline goes through the roof?

California Plugs into Economic Growth

May 23, 2024September 25, 2012 by Max Baumhefner

Research conducted by UC Berkeley economists and the California Electric Transportation Coalition shows that fueling California’s cars and trucks with electricity instead of oil would help grow the state’s economy, creating tens of thousands of new jobs.

Electricity Still a Buck-a-Gallon for Life

March 16, 2019July 3, 2012 by Max Baumhefner

When you buy a car, you make a long-term commitment to purchasing the fuel required to make it go. Which would you rather choose: electricity, a reliably cheap, domestic fuel that gets cleaner every year you own the car, or gasoline, a notoriously unpredictable fuel made with foreign oil that will only get dirtier over time? See the latest price data comparing the two fuels.

+ More