1. Zero-emissions vehicle
The Tesla Model S electric car is a zero emissions vehicle (ZEV)
declared 2013 World Green Car of the Year.[1]
A zero-emissions vehicle, or ZEV, is a vehicle that
emits no tailpipe pollutants from the onboard source
of power.[2][3] Harmful pollutants to the health and the
environment include particulates (soot), hydrocarbons,
carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, and various oxides of
nitrogen. Although not considered emission pollutants
by the original California Air Resources Board (CARB)
or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defi-nitions,
the most recent common use of the term also
includes volatile organic compounds, several air toxics
(most notably butadiene), and global pollutants such as
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.[4] Examples
of zero emission vehicles include muscle-powered ve-hicles
such as bicycles; gravity racers; battery electric
vehicles, which typically shift emissions to the location
where the electricity is generated e.g. coal or natural gas
power plant;[5] and fuel cell vehicles powered by hydro-gen,
which typically shift emissions to the location where
the hydrogen is generated. Hydrogen-powered vehicles
are not strictly zero-emissions, as they do emit water or
water vapor, although they are still usually included in this
category. Emissions from the manufacturing process are
ignored in this definition, although more emissions are
created during manufacture than during a vehicle’s oper-ating
lifetime.[6][7]
1 Terminology
The Indian REVA electric car is a zero emissions vehicle (ZEV)
sold in India, several European countries, Japan, Australia, and
Costa Rica.
The Honda FCX Clarity launched in 2008 is a fuel cell hydrogen
vehicle compliant with the ZEV standard and it is sold in Japan
and in the U.S. (only in Los Angeles).
1.1 Well-to-wheel emissions
The term zero-emissions or ZEV, as originally coined by
the California Air Resources Board (CARB), refers only
to tailpipe pollutants from the onboard source of power.
1

2. 2 2 TYPES OF ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES
Therefore CARB’s definition is accounting only for pol-lutants
emitted at the point of the vehicle operation, and
the clean air benefits are usually local because depending
on the source of the electricity used to recharge the bat-teries,
air pollutant emissions are shifted to the location
of the electricity generation plants.[8]
In a similar manner, a zero-emissions vehicle does not
emit greenhouse gases from the onboard source of power
at the point of operation, but a well-to-wheel assessment
takes into account the carbon dioxide and other emis-sions
produced during electricity generation, and there-fore,
the extent of the real benefit depends on the fuel and
technology used for electricity generation. From the per-spective
of a full life cycle analysis, the electricity used
to recharge the batteries must be generated from renew-able
or clean sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, or
nuclear power for ZEVs to have almost none or zero well-to-
wheel emissions.[8][9] On the other hand, if ZEVs are
recharged from electricity exclusively generated by coal-fired
plants, they produce more greenhouse gas emissions
than if not.[10]
Other countries have a different definition of ZEV, note-worthy
the more recent inclusion of greenhouse gases, as
many European rules now regulate carbon dioxide CO2
emissions. CARB role in regulating greenhouse gases be-gan
in 2004 based on the 2002 Pavley Act (AB 1493), but
blocked by lawsuits and by EPA in 2007, by rejecting the
required waiver. Additional responsibilities were granted
to CARB by California’s Global Warming Solutions Act
of 2006 (AB 32), which includes the mandate to set low-carbon
fuel standards.[8]
As a result of an investigation into false advertising re-garding
“zero-emissions” claims, the Advertising Stan-dards
Authority (ASA) in the UK ruled in March 2010
to ban an advertisement from Renault UK regarding
its “zero-emissions vehicles” because the ad breached
CAP (Broadcast) TV Code rules 5.1.1, 5.1.2 (Mislead-ing
advertising) and 5.2.1 (Misleading advertising- Evi-dence)
and 5.2.6 (Misleading advertising-Environmental
claims.)[11]
Greenhouse gasses and other pollutant emissions are gen-erated
by vehicle manufacturing processes. The emis-sions
from manufacture are many factors larger than the
emissions from tailpipes, even in gasoline engine vehi-cles.
Most reports on ZEV’s impact to the climate do not
take into account these manufacturing emissions.[6][7]
Considering the current U.S. energy mix, a ZEV
would produce a 30% reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions.[12][13][14] Given the current energy mixes in
other countries, it has been predicted that such emis-sions
would decrease by 40% in the U.K.,[15] and 19%
in China.[16]
2 Types of zero-emission vehicles
The Nissan Leaf electric car is a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) that
was launched in the Japan and the U.S. in December 2010.
Ordinary bicycles, recumbent bicycles, and other deriva-tives
as velomobiles, cabin cycles and freight bicycles are
probably the most well known zero-emissions transport
surface vehicles.
Besides these human-powered vehicles, animal powered
vehicles and battery electric vehicles (which besides cars
also feature aircraft, electric boats, ...) also do not emit
any of the above pollutants, nor any CO2 gases during
use. Of course, this is a particularly important quality in
densely populated areas, where the health of residents can
be severely affected. However, the production of the fu-els
that power ZEVs, such as the production of hydrogen
from fossil fuels, may produce more emissions per mile
than the emissions produced from a conventional fossil
fueled vehicle.[17] A well-to-wheel life cycle assessment
is necessary to understand the emissions implications as-sociated
with operating a ZEV.
Other zero emission vehicle technologies include plug-in
hybrids (e.g. ICE/electric battery) when in electric mode,
some plug-in hybrids in both recharging and electric
mode (e.g. fuel cell/electric battery, compressed air en-gine/
electric battery), liquid nitrogen vehicles, hydrogen
vehicles (utilizing fuel cells or converted internal com-bustion
engines), and compressed air vehicles typically
recharged by slow (home) or fast (road station) electric

3. 3.2 Subsidies for development of electric cars 3
compressors, flywheel energy storage vehicles, solar pow-ered
cars, and tribrids.
Segway Personal Transporters are two-wheeled, self-balancing,
battery-powered machines that are eleven
times more energy-efficient than the average American
car. Operating on two lithium-ion batteries, the Segway
PT produces zero emissions during operation, and uti-lizes
a negligible amount of electricity while charging via
a standard wall outlet.[18]
Finally, especially for boats (although ground vessels op-erating
on wind exist (using wind turbine and kite) and
other watercraft, regular and special sails (as rotorsails,
wing sails, turbo sails, skysails exist that can propel it
emissionless. Also, for larger ships (as tankers, container
vessels, ...), nuclear power is also used (though not com-monly).
2.1 Current vehicles in common public
transport
Electric trains, High-speed rail, subways, sail-powered
boats, trolleybuses, trams, electric buses, and cycle rick-shaws.
2.2 Current vehicles in common private
transport
Electric cars, electric boats, sail-powered boats, bicycles,
recumbent bicycles, velomobiles, cabin cycles, freight bi-cycles
3 Incentives
See also: Subsidies and tax incentives by country
3.1 Subsidies for public transport
Japanese public transport is being driven in the direction
of zero emissions due to growing environmental concern.
Honda has launched a conceptual bus which features ex-ercise
machines to the rear of the vehicle to generate
kinetic energy used for propulsion.
Due to the stop-start nature of idling in public transport,
regenerative braking may be a possibility for public trans-port
systems of the future. After all, public transport
costs councils money, so money well spent on saving fuel
is money saved.
3.2 Subsidies for development of electric
cars
In an attempt to curb carbon emissions as well as noise
pollution in South African cities, the South African De-partment
of Science & Technology (DST), as well as
other private investments, have made US$5 million avail-able
through the Innovation Fund for the development of
the Joule. The Joule is a five seater car, planned to be
released in 2014.[19]
4 See also
Personal automated transport
Future of the car
Hybrid vehicle
Low-carbon fuel standard
Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent
Partial zero-emissions vehicle
Plug-in hybrid
Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle
Shweeb
List of electric cars currently available
Tesla Motors
Coda Automotive
Tier (emission standard)
Low emission vehicle
Solar rickshaw
Ultra Low Emission Vehicle
Who Killed the Electric Car?, a documentary

4. 4 6 EXTERNAL LINKS
Zero carbon city
Zero emission
ZENN (Zero Emission, No Noise)
Optimal Energy Joule
Hybrid Zero Emission Air-So., Vehicle
5 References
[1] PRNewswire (2013-03-28). “And Now There Is One....
Tesla Model S Declared 2013 World Green Car”.
International Business Times. Retrieved 2013-03-28.
[2] California Air Resources Board (2009-03-09). “Glossary
of Air Pollution Terms: ZEV”. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
[3] Christine Scott Gable. “What is a ZEV - Zero Emis-sions
Vehicle? extquotedbl. About.com: Hybrid Carts
Alt Fuels. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
[4] Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Cen-ter.
“Alternative Advanced Vehicles: Pollutants and
Health”. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, US
DOE. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
[5] http://www.sierraclub.org/coal/map/
[6] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/
green-living-blog/2010/sep/23/
carbon-footprint-new-car
[7] http://environmentalresearchweb.org/cws/article/news/
39408
[8] Sperling, Daniel and Deborah Gordon (2009). Two bil-lion
cars: driving toward sustainability. Oxford University
Press, New York. pp. 22 to 26. ISBN 978-0-19-537664-
7.
[9] David B. Sandalow, ed. (2009). Plug-In Electric Vehicles:
What Role for Washington? (1st. ed.). The Brookings
Institution. pp. 2–5. ISBN 978-0-8157-0305-1.
[10] Palm, Erik (2009-05-01). “Study: Electric cars not
as green as you think | Green Tech - CNET News”.
News.cnet.com. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
[11] ASA Adjudication on Renault UK Ltd
[12] “Plug-in Hybrid Cars: Chart of CO2 Emissions Ranked
by Power Source”. TreeHugger. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
[13] http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oiaf/1605/cdrom/pdf/
e-supdoc.pdf
[14] “Electric Power Monthly -Table 1.1. Net Generation by
Energy Source”. Eia.doe.gov. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
[15] “Less CO2”. My Electric Car. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
[16] http://www.mckinsey.com/locations/greaterchina/
mckonchina/pdfs/China_Charges_Up.pdf
[17] http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-03/
miot-msh031003.php
[18] Whitepaper “The Role of the Segway PT in Emissions
Reduction”
[19] http://www.optimalenergy.co.za
6 External links
Official California site on ZEVs and PZEVs
2006 Scientific American article - (dead link)
CALSTART
Reasons to buy an electric car in 2013

5. 5
7 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
7.1 Text
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