carbon emissions , which threaten human health and the planet .
Emissions belched into the atmosphere are linked to a host of respiratory problems and various cancers , and disproportionately impact communities of color . Sacramento County routinely ranks poorly in terms of air pollution by the American Lung Association .
Electrification is the replacement of fossil fuels with electricity generated by clean , renewable sources , and it ’ s a critical pathway to California ’ s ambitious goals to achieve carbon neutrality and 100 percent clean energy by 2045 . Those are part of the state ’ s even larger climate goals and those adopted by the majority of the world ’ s countries in the
Paris Agreement of 2015 to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius — the level at which the ecosystems that make life possible begin to collapse . But according to the latest assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , irreversible change is already upon us .
Innovative advancements in clean energy and efficiency , such as Terzo Power Systems ’ electrification technology , are reducing emissions while growing the clean economy . These advancements are part of an emerging sector of cutting-edge electrification technology in the Capital Region that includes work being done by the California Mobility Center , local utility providers such as Sacramento Municipal Utility District and Roseville Electric , and homebuilders . Some of those efforts are positioned to serve as models for others on a global scale .
The future of mobility
When it comes to the zero-emission vehicle space , most of it is passenger cars and “ that ’ s a success story in terms of adoption of electric vehicles here in California ,” says Mark Rawson , chief operating officer of the California Mobility Center . “ We ’ re the largest EV market in the free world .” And that market is growing .
California aims to reach 5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030 — approximately one sixth of all registered light-duty vehicles in the state . It ’ s a giant leap from the state ’ s total sales of nearly 925,000 electric vehicles as of August 2021 , but those are nearly half of all electric vehicles sold in the U . S ., according to data from the California Energy Commission . In 2035 , those numbers will skyrocket when Gov . Gavin Newsom ’ s executive order mandating all new passenger cars and trucks sold in California be zero emission goes into effect .
But if the state is going to meet its clean energy goals , Rawson says electrification needs to happen in the medium and heavy-duty on-highway space ( think trucks ), as well as transit ( buses , light rail and trains ), and the off-highway space such as construction and agriculture vehicles and equipment — plus the infrastructure to support it all .
That ’ s the future of mobility . And early-stage companies in these sectors are key clients the CMC is designed to attract and support . Its pioneering collaborative specializes in successful entry into the market , filling a gap accelerators and incubators don ’ t provide . Clients ’ paths to commercialization are supported by an ecosystem of global industry leaders with interests in advanced mobility , such as automobile makers , and companies that provide support services required to overcome commercialization hurdles . Preliminary reports estimate the CMC will bring thousands of jobs and $ 2.5 billion in economic impact to the greater Sacramento area over the next five years , Rawson says .
The CMC launched its operations in March 2021 at Depot Park in south Sacramento . While the nonprofit is building its client base , it ’ s already working with clients in the agriculture , construction and mining spaces , and others working on electrified versions of a scooter , a tractor , and a bus , as well as light-duty truck manufacturing and an electric vehicle charging system . While the CMC doesn ’ t yet have clients in the marine or aviation sectors , Rawson says it ’ s structured to be able to support them . In fact , the ecosystem is structured to accommodate limitless growth of its client base by expanding its industry leaders and support service providers .
“ We built this ecosystem in a way that can scale , but we also want to export this concept and this business model to other countries that want to pursue these types of commercialization collaboratives to help their communities meet their policy objectives around electrification and zero-emission vehicle deployment ,” Rawson says . The CMC is in discussions with organizations in Australia , Europe , Canada and Asia Pacific that are interested in replicating its model .
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