How ready is California for an electric vehicle future?

A recent New York Times article did a deep dive into where the shift to electric vehicles is the strongest and it probably comes as no surprise to KCBS listeners that California - and in particular, the Bay Area - is the primary force behind seeing more EVs on the road.

Data shows that electric cars, trucks and S.U.V.s made up almost 40 percent of new auto registrations in the San Jose area last year and about 34 percent in San Francisco. 

But with a ban on new gas-powered vehicle sales in California happening in 2035, how ready is the state for a full on EV revolution?

We’ll start our conversation with James Bushnell, professor in the department of economics at UC Davis. Before joining UC Davis, he spent 15 years as the Research Director of the University of California Energy Institute at Berkeley. He has also advised the California Air Resources Board on emissions trading and other climate policies.  

And we'll also turn to Carleen Cullen, founder and executive director of Cool the Earth, as well as Ride and Drive Clean - a collaborative campaign to rapidly accelerate the switch to zero-emission vehicles. She’s based in Marin County.