The South Coast AQMD is the smog control agency for all or portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, where 15 million people breathe some of the dirtiest air in the U.S. It believes that new low- and zero-emission technologies are the key to achieving clean air in the region, and it was, in fact, the first AQMD to require electric and clean fuel vehicles.

The SCAQMD takes seriously its responsibility to assist industry by funding the research and development of these new technologies. The agency does this through its Technology Advancement Office, in conjunction with the Mobile Source Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) and the Southern California Economic Partnership.