EPA will release list of hybrids, CNG vehicles allowed in HOV lanes today
While the high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes have been open to hybrids carrying just one person in places like California for a while, the EPA will announce nationwide guidelines for hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles in HOV lanes later today, according to the Denver Post. The Post has seen the list, and says that "hybrid models of the Honda Civic, Insight and Accord; the Toyota Prius, Highlander and Camry; the Ford Escape; the Lexus RX 400 and Tribute; the Mercury Mariner; and some natural-gas vehicles" will be welcomed into the HOV lanes no matter how many people are in the car. Perhaps some people will now calculate the savings of that mannequin they don't need to buy into the cost of a hybrid car.
The Post has the full list of the vehicles, and says that the new HOV-friendly vehicles need to be both low-emission and energy efficient. Energy efficient is defined as being a CNG vehicle or a hybrid that gets at least 25 percent better combined MPG rate (or 50 percent in the city). Low-emission means less than 0.07 grams of nitrogen oxide per mile. Congress passed a law in 2005 allowing fuel-efficient vehicles to use HOV lanes even if there's only single driver and asked the EPA to define eligible hybrids.
Related:
- Thieves stealing carpool stickers in California
- California lawmakers want to impose shame on HOV lane violators; sounds like field day for pranksters
- Hybrids getting a free ride in HOV lane
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Devin Lussier 11:40AM (5/17/2007)
Does this mean you could drive a Prius in the HOV lane in California without five of those dreadful (and now unobtainable) yellow carpool stickers?
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TopaZ 11:52AM (5/17/2007)
#1,
Yes I'd love to know what this means for California drivers. Also why no 2006 or 2007 Honda Civic GX? (CNG)
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Peter 3:18PM (5/17/2007)
So the only hybrid requirement is that it exhibits a 25% improvement over the gas version? Really?
That would mean that a 13mpg SUV hybrid would be allowed if there is a 10mpg gas version, but a 48mpg compact would not be allowed if there is a 40mpg gas version. And a 60mpg non-hybrid Smart car would not be allowed, even though it gets better mileage than all of them.
I'm hoping this was simply a misprint and that the rule will at least consider the absolute efficiency of the car and not just how it compares to the gas version.
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shmuupy 6:40PM (5/17/2007)
I hope this does not mean that HOV lanes nationally are going to be screwed up like we have screwed up California HOV lanes.
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graxxus 6:26PM (5/17/2007)
I love the idea, but isn't this fundamentally flawed?
The cars with the lowest emissions will end up spending the least time in traffic, while the majority of cars, those with lousy emissions, will spend more time sitting and poluting...
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susan.kraemer 10:56AM (5/18/2007)
I am very concerned that there is absolutely no mention of CO2 emissions here.
Nitrous oxide is NOT the issue in global warming.
The current Bush-crony-populated EPA is notoriously uninterested in CO2 emissions, having, as Barbara Boxer complained in a hearing recently "assigned a zero value to CO2 emissions, ie they simply DO NOT CONSIDER CO2 A PROBLEM! in evaluating emissions.
Where is the outrage.
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CaptainOFace 1:42PM (5/18/2007)
@#6. You make valid points, however if your goal is to have more fuel efficiant vehicles on the road why do care what reasoning is behind it? So what if people dont care about CO2, if they buy a Prius to save money or to not support terrorisim, then fine..everyone wins. Not everyone has to agree on the "why" to adopt hybrid or higer efficancy vehicles, isnt it enough that they did?. There are plenty of good reasons to limit our oil consumption. CO2 is only one reason. To some, its the ultimate reason, to others its not even on the list.
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