California Allows Only Certain Hybrids in the Fast Lanes

Washington DC August 12, 2005; The AIADA newsletter reported that the state of California will only allow drivers of three out of the seven hybrid car models to drive alone in carpool or HOV lanes. According to the LA Times, The three models allowed will be the Honda Civic, Honda Insight, and Toyota Prius. Despite the National Highway Bill signed into law by President Bush on Wednesday that allows states to let hybrids into carpool lanes, California passed a law last year that sets stricter standards than the national standards, where access to carpool lanes are only for Hybrids that are the cleanest running in their class and get at least 45 miles to the gallon. This effort by the state is running up against the auto industry’s strategy of using hybrid technology in larger cars and SUVs. "I think people don’t necessarily buy vehicles because they’re allowed in the carpool lane as a solo driver," but the carpool lane law is an incentive to buy hybrids,” says Gennet Paauwe, a spokeswoman for the California State Air Resources Board. “While people may be upset that they can’t drive solo as others can, there will probably be further introductions of other types of vehicles that will qualify in the future."