George S. May Business Blog

California says: Black is Wack!

Well, black cars that is. California Air Resource Board will be requiring cars, starting in 2012, to maintain a 20 percent reflection of solar energy (click here for the complete presentation). The thinking behind it is: cars that reflect less light get hotter and as a result their owners use more air conditioning, which requires more fuel consumption, which leads to more exhaust/pollution. To date there is no black auto paint that can achieve that figure. CARB approximates that this move will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by .8 million metric tons.

Being a Los Angeles resident, I will say that the hybrid driving, wheat grass sipping, yoga, gingko, organic, all-natural, tree hugger is an absolute staple of this city (especially west of Hollywood). In fact, these days it is actually pseudo “cool” to be in that club. So the fact that California has come out and said, “You thought you were green? Well, not enough”, to me is classic. Furthermore, does it not seem like California is missing the point? It’s not the paint producing the carbon emissions, it’s the engine! Wouldn’t it make more sense to pass stricter regulations on the engines, not the color of the car.

Either way Californians, if you want to get a new black car, you’d better do it soon.

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