Last year, the state's Air Resources Board scaled back rules requiring automakers to produce 22,000 EVs for the California market in 2003. The board opted to relax the minimum number to under 5,000 EVs.

Originally, state air quality officials had envisioned 10 percent of all new auto sales in the state to be electric vehicles by next year. But automakers complained that consumers weren't interested in the limited-range cars, while EV supporters criticized automakers for lax marketing.

Meanwhile, automakers now seem more bullish about so-called hybrid vehicles, which combine electric motors and efficient conventional engines to increase gas mileage. Indeed, South Bay Rep. Jane Harman announced this week that a federal grant for nearly $2 million would help expand the alternative-energy rental car program at Los Angeles International Airport. The funds were to be earmarked to purchase more hybrid vehicles made by Honda and Toyota.

But better times may be ahead for EVs.

Electric vehicle enthusiasts received a boost this week as Playa Vista's developers revealed plans to give residents of the planned community a number of electric-vehicle options. Plans include electric cart purchases, electric car rentals and zero-emission trams to shuttle residents around the 1,086-acre development.

The idea is to keep gas guzzlers in the garage and use alternative transportation for shorter trips.

The Playa Vista initiative is certainly one to keep an eye on. If it's successful in getting consumers in the L.A. region to take a second look at electric vehicles, there will likely be a sizable payoff in the form of cleaner skies.

And if that occurs, it would show that private initiatives to advance EV technology might be superior to past state efforts at "mandating" such products.