Car Tech Live 201: How much do we have to pay you to buy an electric car?

-- -- have to pay you want to buy an electric car. Headlights that could buy you a six MPG. You might actually get your. That's right folks that more awaits you this -- episode that took -- Won cnet's car tech live I'm Brian Cooley -- Wayne Cunningham and Antuan Goodwin suitably -- to be. In solidarity with our East Coast brethren as they go through the blizzard coal over there -- over -- not here and here now but there are trying to here I've noticed that sort -- -- -- -- -- Let's get into our stories today so we don't. Now we all I hear often about the -- credit for buying an electric car -- advanced hybrid and -- -- Chevy Volt or something. And that's as much -- -- 500 dollars to big reason that people do the math police cars and all are getting into buying them if you can take that much off the top. A leaf -- -- people -- it's great. Well you can't take up the topic to tax credit against -- you -- a lot of folks don't know that but that might -- more interesting this week the word is that the Obama administration wants to move that tax credit. Into a straight up rebate you would take off the top of the MS RP so you wouldn't get a check from anybody. When you do the deal the car cut your best deal and then they'll knock another 7500 dollars off because the feds. I'm gonna pay them back hybrid buyers used to get this is a as a credit back -- -- David -- those ran out yet -- handset pool lies about the do something similar with this. Have a pool of rebates. And does hybrids they now consider to be not that advanced and they said you know mark upon those anymore in -- diamond doesn't and the -- -- it -- speak to the pool when they would increase this from 200000 vehicles a year 500000. Under this proposal so a you'd get a real. A rebate of sorts though not cash and to be 500000 vehicles per year. Under this is a part of Obama's state of the union message -- he's reiterated he wants to get a million TVs on the -- in four years now uses the -- does is commendable as well because that's not. Technically appear telling you now it's -- -- plug in hybrid and electric vehicles so that would qualify as a plug in hybrid out of street. So I guess that would give it in there. This is. -- -- story to this this is being put out by two senate policy to our representatives of imaginative and yet of both house members. Carl Levin and his Brothers Sander Levin at the brother act. Which is different than a sister. And this would be of course a big lop off the top of the 41000 dollar volt. Especially if you can just take that right off the price how the power companies love to advertise that hits you can get -- -- for 32000 dollars it's really 40000. I -- brought -- but a wholesale. -- throw money at -- to make this work and again you know what you feed the market with this -- better keep it going for awhile or you could -- -- steep drop off. In EV vehicle uptake as people are counting on this and part of the -- the big disk. This is not like a couple thousand dollars even that sells cars. So Sony 500 dollars a big -- that could -- -- as a much more agreeable sort of a disk will keep an amount of course there are 2 o'clock speaking of the -- what they do with cars. Word is that for the first time perhaps -- the feds and California may be on the same page on emissions. Californians always been ahead always more aggressive -- the other 49 states. Some carmakers make two different models of cars others do with fifty state compliant emissions package on the car. But now for the first time. Coming up in September when the next set of rules -- propose the timber first we see that the yet. The -- that the EPA and DOT wanna be on the same page with California's -- the California Air Resources Board. To release simultaneously proposed rules that would synch up and we see cars are gonna go both ways on -- Aren't actually an interest in angle of the story that dead really what they're doing is that there is seeking up there there -- -- announcement dates for the -- And California thinks that if we have the same announcement date we can influence. What -- bad regulations will be emissions regulations trying to all the same page exactly so yeah and it's you know it's it's at a mishmash of the carmakers on the got -- -- -- we gotta build a certain emission. Level car for about eleven states I think Paula California yeah in their regulations and then there's the rest of the country which is fine with the -- your -- Which is great. But I had enough for a -- kind of just out in the -- should just make them. There are definitely need these -- should be standardized disagree Nestle's new fifty state from looking here at this is the green vehicle guide EPA put that if you. -- look it let's say topic a 2011. Let's you'll go to it's all states to school this down and you can pick any car you want it's Tuesday 01 on day and now -- -- -- and -- -- may -- -- -- -- -- look at the various -- here. Here Hyundai Sonata it's not once not to it's a whole bunch of these are all. Almost -- it's a 2.4 liter inline four all two wheeled drive and they all have the same gas mileage but you'll see very different. -- pollution score and greenhouse score and that's because these are different levels of emissions -- and opened his first one here you'll see that is actually a -- see this is the federal all altitude -- and five car. If you go to the next Sonata. This is going to probably be a California car here this is a California level two -- -- Ultra low emissions we go to the next some not a in this patchwork of things that we have the California another level to -- -- And in this next wanna hear what is this another twenty -- on a federal all altitude -- five of all over the -- with different levels of emissions. That is not efficient. The -- how the industry should be. -- to be one car. -- enough that there is a designation in California for -- he's them partial zero emissions vehicle -- they -- -- met just a very clean running and consumers actually sold in California have that -- that rating. And this data I've heard on that is the that output the carbon dioxide -- the -- Is is about the same -- spilling like a -- of gasoline Omnia the outside of the very years driving for years drive estimates. Yucca -- to -- -- a -- and a battle the likes building yet like the smell. Number that way Anatoly dribbled out the side -- your car when you fill it up and that's the best treatment payment aghast at that. Love that lets -- -- -- went you know I prefer diesel. That's is that -- very delicate raw about god power that's that arrive at that Mitchell like a -- astronaut. But really I used to I liked it better when it was -- to be quite honest I can tell a different values of them and -- always have the best milling premium. A little that they do smell different degree yet they do you do it differently -- -- -- a little bit I -- the market they've got to AdSense to gasoline. -- state could get it until plant would -- exactly act get a Chevron and spoke like puppies. He go to cellist like -- accredited thick sugary doughnuts Emmy winning at a car -- and you get the gas -- yes I like that Jakarta. Would illustrate the -- -- super shell or maybe -- diesel are we trademark in the idea that it doesn't look good night I hate that these go to public got its act permits you know the chat -- gonna -- this single -- -- -- -- getting gas -- I was you know. But I just don't don't have too many puppies aren't gonna -- yeah the though I guess that my grandmother shelter that and that. Our island and called let's talk about all -- -- he's the head of the Department of Transportation. And like grabbing him endlessly because. I get the feeling he's really just. The old man on the hill when it comes to transportation and -- visa -- guy in the least. He's always been the safety -- he's really anti distraction. Last year was -- through the you're gonna see the first ever federal regulations about distracted driving didn't happen lot of other things going on in Washington. Here's an of the year for him to take a run -- he's the battle into a single innocently enough. We've the former head of -- at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration a guy named by Jeffrey runs. And at their kind of a little bit peeing match over whether or not all this effort by the -- to the really prioritize distracted driving is a good expenditure of time or not we told on the show several times the research -- different ways some says that -- the increase in Smartphones and cars we're seeing more -- -- -- no when you have laws against -- accidents go up or they go down. It's really kind of a mess but -- only -- -- says this piece from Bloomberg we will not be deterred by false choices. About addressing distracted driving on the one hand and alternate critical safety issues on the other utterance he says this is gonna remain. His top thing along with everything else through the year ahead. Fire the guy who -- some pocket and replace it we want distracts -- But there are ways to handle a lot of stuff well if you take out to you know the texting and hands free stepping cars people are still many users cellphones they're not gonna. And drop them yes it's true we did that it's very hard to -- to affect that behavior and genie is out of the bottle was is that -- and that's kind of what it is it is a genie out of the bottle situation and we look -- -- -- -- other systems we've looked at here. They're getting more complicated the sinks in the OnStar is Monday blue links and what -- -- they're offering more more choice to do what they came to make them clear not always succeeding -- But there's more going on of the car. And with a connected car you're -- -- connected car you're not if you're gonna -- car not have a lot of rich. Media and communication entertainment and navigation. What's the point you gotta put your eyes -- years on that distracts your brain it's brain distraction that's the real issue. And -- -- every bit of evidence that comes out that says these technologies are more distracting there's a piece of evidence that -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Yeah it harder to see where so mean you're -- -- let them leave the cars are -- we conserve the fact that this Bannister which -- -- become the other with no want to say that I'll save it right here a connect when you drive along with twelve airbags you can through a and just to accept a god reckons the email but prefer somebody evident navigation system in their car -- Alina paper maps pulled -- over the -- -- we totally try to drop in and determining a paper map -- anyone done that lately that's distracting I mean you lose where you are every time.