California Hybrid Owners Lose HOV Lane Privileges

2059 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by PriusFan, Aug 22, 2011

EV_Fan

Discussion Starter · Jul 5, 2011

If you own a Hybrid vehicle such as a Toyota Prius and live in Cali, the privilege of taking the HOV lane without any passengers has been revoked. California has now allowed people with electric vehicles to take the HOV lane with no passengers.

Anyone from Cali want to express their views on this?

California was on the cutting edge when it tried to incentivize hybrid car ownership. Instead of relying purely on tax breaks, it allowed hybrid owners access to HOV lanes (without the usual requirement of having a passenger in the car) simply by slapping a yellow sticker on their bumpers. In gridlock-plagued California this was one delicious carrot to be dangled.

Over the years, the state restricted the types of hybrids rated for the privilege. Today, even those hybrids — the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and Honda Insight — will no longer be eligible for the speedy lanes.

However, electric car owners will be able to get stickers allowing them access to HOV lanes. A new carrot, err … green sticker, will be available starting Jan. 1, 2012, for owners of the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt and other electric- and natural-gas-powered vehicles.

kickingtires

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PriusFan

· #2 · Jul 6, 2011

makes sense to me, hybrids still burn fuel and now that a lot of Hybrids are out on the roads the HOV lanes might have too much Hybrids with only one driver. I think allowing Hybrid vehicle owners take the HOV lanes with no passengers was meant to be a temporary thing.

they did make the right move allowing electric vehicle to take the place of hybrids, great way to push people to buy EV's

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Previa

· #3 · Aug 11, 2011

Just because they do drive a fuel efficient car doesn't mean they are car pooling and that is what the HOV lane was designed for.

Regardless having more cars on the collector and less cars on the HOV does make it more efficient but then just creates more pollution and more of a backup due to the extra volume.

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HY.BRD

· #4 · Aug 17, 2011

all i have to say is... well that was pointless and a waste of tax money!

but technically the HOV lane is used for car pooling not just fuel efficient cars, if it were cars with 40+ MPG should also be allowed in there not just because you drive a prius...

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PriusFan

· #5 · Aug 22, 2011

HY.BRD said:
all i have to say is... well that was pointless and a waste of tax money!

but technically the HOV lane is used for car pooling not just fuel efficient cars, if it were cars with 40+ MPG should also be allowed in there not just because you drive a prius...

Yea the HOV lane originated as a lane for High Occupancy Vehicles but allowing those with EV's, natural gas vehicles, etc to take that lane is a good move, encouraging the purchase of these types of cars is what we need.

Fact is hybrids still use gasoline, and now millions of them are on the road, so just imagine what an HOV lane would be like if they hybrids were still allowed.

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