Tesla, Lucid Motors & Rivian Join a New Lobbying Group Called 'ZETA' to Promote Electric Vehicle Adoption in the U.S.

author: FutureCar Staff    

Tesla’s new V3 Superchargers can add 75 miles of range in just 5 minutes of charging, making it easier for its customers to drive a fully-electric car.

Electric vehicle pioneer Tesla and two of its newest rivals Lucid Motors and Rivian have joined a new lobbying group called the "Zero Emission Transportation Association" (ZETA). The organization will focus on advocating for national policies to promote the use of zero-emissions electric vehicles, including light, medium and heavy-duty commercial trucks by 2030.

ZETA is a non-partisan group that aims to bring together those who support meeting the goal of 100% electric vehicle sales in the U.S. by 2030. 

Joining Tesla, Lucid Motors and Rivian are 25 other companies, including Uber, Lordstown Motors and EV charging infrastructure operator ChargePoint. Missing from the group however are U.S. automakers General Motors and Ford Motor Co, two companies that rely heavily on the profits of trucks and SUVs at the moment.

ZETA is the first industry coalition of its kind calling for an accelerated transition to electric vehicles (EVs). The organization says that accelerating the adoption of EV in the U.S. will create hundreds of thousands of new high-tech jobs, secure America as a global leader in EV manufacturing and significantly reduce carbon pollution, which will lead to improving public health.

"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," said Joe Britton, Executive Director of ZETA. "ZETA's formation recognizes a pivotal moment for national leadership and reflects the will of the growing clean transportation sector."

ZETA is calling for five key areas which its says will put "America on the pathway to full EV adoption by 2030."

Among them are incentives to purchase new electric vehicles or to switch from an internal combustion engine powered model to a battery-powered one. ZETA believes that these measures will help accelerate adoption.

One of these incentives is already in place, which is the Federal EV Tax Credit. It allows for a $7,500 tax credit on the purchase on a fully-electric vehicle. The tax credit is only good until each automaker reaches sales of 200,000 qualifying vehicles, which Tesla has already achieved. However the federal government has the power to extend the program, which is something that the Trump administration has no intention of doing.

Another initiative for ZETA is to tighten emissions performance standards by 2030, which are currently regulated by the EPA. Reducing emissions limits on greenhouse gases will force automakers to build more zero emissions vehicles. Many gas-powered vehicles would not be able to achieve the new targets. The move will also help to fight climate change.

ZETA will also lobby for infrastructure investments across the U.S., such as a coast-to-coast network of conveintant EV charging stations so drivers of electric vehicles will never have to worry about finding a place to charge.

ZETA will also push to ramp up domestic manufacturing of electric vehicles to secure the U.S. as a global leader in EV leadership production. This includes new federal policies to encourage job creation and economic activity across the entire EV supply chain.

The group of companies will also lobby for federal support for the research and development of new technologies. This includes a common vision for electrification in the U.S., which will require the participation of local leaders with the expertise and resources to support full vehicle electrification.

"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," said said Joe Britton, Executive Director of ZETA.

ZETA's goals are not unattainable. California-based Tesla has grown to become the world's most valuable automaker in under a decade, which proves there is strong demand for fully-electric zero emissions vehicles. 

The only problem right now is that U.S. automakers are not building enough electric cars and are not yet willing (or ready) to give up the profits of gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs which are popular with consumers.

But for EV startups Lucid Motors and Rivian, ZETA's efforts might help them to break into the U.S. market more easily.

Other notable companies joining ZETA are ConEdison, Duke Energy, Edison International, EVgo, Piedmont Lithium, PG&E Corporation and battery recycler Redwood Materials.

FutureCar Staff