Partial zero-emissions vehicle

A Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) is an administrative category within the U.S. state of California for low emission vehicles.

This vehicle category created as part of a bargain with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), so that the automobile manufacturers could avoid producing mandated zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), which would have required the production of electric vehicles, under the theory that a large number of low pollution vehicles would produce the equivalent pollution reduction of a lesser number of zero-emissions vehicles. Electric vehicles have been limited by the relatively high cost, limited capacity, and slow charging of electric batteries for power storage. Despite these limitations, electric vehicles have proven very acceptable to those who have elected to operate them, so this administrative change had the unfortunate effect of essentially destroying an emerging but still very small market.

The vehicles constructed to meet the PZEV requirements are called Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (SULEVs). Various techniques are used to reduce pollution in these vehicles.

PZEV's are also marketed outside of California, partially to take advantage of economies of scale.