Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
TECHNOLOGY Tuesday 29 augusT 2017

California seeks to boost electric-car rebate program

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — could, for example, make state risks falling short of
California would spend up a Chevrolet Bolt EV electric Brown’s goal of 1.5 mil-
to $3 billion under a bill to car cost the same as a gas- lion zero-emission vehicles
widely expand its fledgling oline-driven Honda Civic. on California highways by
consumer rebate program Already approved by sev- 2025, and the California Air
for zero-emission vehicles. eral Senate and Assembly Resources Board’s goal of 4
The state has already spent committees, the bill will go million by 2030.
nearly $450 million in subsi- to Gov. Jerry Brown for his The bill is opposed by Re-
dies, but the Los Angeles approval or veto if the full publicans averse to tax-
Times reported that so far, Legislature approves it by payer subsidies, the Times
the rebates haven’t boost- the end of its current ses- reported Saturday.
ed sales much. In 2016, sion on Sept. 15. Outside observers and
of the just over 2 million California aims to reduce analysts raise eyebrows at
cars sold in the state, only greenhouse gas emissions the $3 billion budget line.
75,000 were pure-electric by 2030 to a level 40 per- Supporters say the money
and plug-in hybrid cars. To cent below what they were will come mainly from the
date, out of 26 million cars in 1990. state’s cap-and-trade auc- This April 25, 2016, photo shows an electric Fiat plugged into a
and light trucks registered “If we want to hit our goals, tion revenue, although they charging station in a parking lot in Los Angeles.
in California, just 315,000 we’re going to have to do are vague on details. Other that money,” said Severin that decision to the air re-
are electric or plug-in hy- something about transpor- legislators, including Sen- Borenstein, an energy mar- sources board. It directs the
brids. tation,” said Assemblyman ate leader Kevin de Leon, kets expert at UC Berkeley’s board to use state rebate
Now the Legislature is push- Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, a Los Angeles Democrat, Haas School of Business. money so the consumer
ing forward a bill that would sponsor of Assembly Bill are putting in their own bids Also left vague is the re- needn’t pay more for an
lift rebates from $2,500 to 1184. for cap-and-trade revenue bate amount to be applied electric compact car than
$10,000 or more for a com- Without a dramatic boost that overlap with Ting’s. to each vehicle, the news- a similar gasoline-powered
pact electric car. That in subsidies, Ting said, the “There are a lot of claims on paper said. The bill passes compact car.q

Authorities say Apple shuts down Iranian apps

By AMIR VAHDAT er rights is a principle today Rasul who is a tech en- tor of the National Iranian our interest in encouraging
Associated Press which Apple has not fol- thusiast tweeted: “All the American Council based in young Iranian tech entre-
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Apple lowed. We will follow up the apps deleted from the App Washington, said in a state- preneurs and promoting in-
Inc. has removed all Iranian cutting of the apps legally.” Store, does not have any ment that Apple’s move ternet freedom around the
mobile apps from its App The move comes two years relation to Iranian govern- has the effect of punish- world,” he said. “We hope
Store, authorities said Fri- after the historic nuclear ment! US Sanctions target- ing the Iranian people, not they will respond and look
day. deal between Iran and ing people.” Iran’s government. forward to discussing these
Ali Maleki, who works for world powers, in which Iran Jamal Abdi, policy direc- “We trust that Apple shares matters with them.”q
Iran’s biggest e-commerce accepted curbs on its con-
site Digikala, said the apps tested nuclear program in
were shut down around return for lifting sanctions.
10 days ago. He said Digi- U.S. legislation passed earli-
kala’s app was removed er this month imposed man-
“based on the new type of datory penalties on people
sanctions which were im- involved in Iran’s ballistic
posed against Iran.” missile program and any-
In reaction to Apple’s de- one who does business with
cision, Telecommunica- them.
tion Minister Mohammad Apple does not officially do
Javad Azari Jahromi said business in Iran or any other
Apple should respect its Ira- Gulf countries, but many
nian consumers. Iranians purchase its prod-
Apple, based in Cupertino, ucts from stores inside Iran.
California, did not immedi- Many Iranians using social
ately respond to a request media criticized the Apple
for comment. decision and have cre-
Jahromi tweeted: “11% of ated #StopRemovingIrani-
Iran’s mobile phone market anApps to show their anger
share is owned by Apple. over the move.
Giving respect to consum- Twitter user Mohammad