Switching Cars

* I am proposing that every state official or agency employee from the governor on down now provided a state car be given an electric vehicle starting one year before the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate goes into effect. The car would be in lieu of the gasoline-powered cars now and of equal sticker price. The plan has several benefits:

1. No added expenses would be incurred because electric vehicles fall generally within the cost range of cars now provided.

2. Officials would be demonstrating their sincerity and convictions about their beliefs in ZEVs. This kind of leadership would greatly encourage public acceptance. Surely no public official could object to participating.

3. A great deal of useful operating data would be accumulated quickly from cars serviced at state expense.

4. Opposition to the vehicles would dwindle quickly. Who could object if the cars are simple substitutions at the same cost?

It has been claimed many times that as far as range problems are concerned, there are only a few occasions to need long-range capability, and some ZEV owners would maintain another car of their own for such purposes.

Implementation of the state program could serve as a model to expand the law to all lower levels of government also.

L. DAVID TAYLOR

Huntington Beach