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Car pool lane access

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azred

Active Member
Apr 12, 2016
2,354
3,611
Chandler, AZ
Lost in all of the worries about tax credits expiring is another incentive that could have a short shelf life in some states. Here in AZ hybrids access to car pools lanes has been capped for several years such that new owners are not eligible. BEVs all receive the special plate but based on volume in the carpool lanes, ADOT can cap that access as well. As Model 3 and competitors proliferate I could see that happenng sooner or later. Something else to consider if you are planning to wait a couple years as I'm guessing some other states may cap access as well.;)
 
As EVs become more common, the rule in some states that EVs with only a single occupant can use the HOV/car pool lanes will have to change. Here in California the HOV lanes I am familiar with are often no faster than the other lanes. That isn't primarily due to EVs with a single occupant using the lanes, but they contribute to the issue.

HOV lanes will work best when they are restricted to vehicles with multiple occupants.
 
Lost in all of the worries about tax credits expiring is another incentive that could have a short shelf life in some states. Here in AZ hybrids access to car pools lanes has been capped for several years such that new owners are not eligible. BEVs all receive the special plate but based on volume in the carpool lanes, ADOT can cap that access as well. As Model 3 and competitors proliferate I could see that happenng sooner or later. Something else to consider if you are planning to wait a couple years as I'm guessing some other states may cap access as well.;)

Tried to send you a private message but....As someone also from Arizona, ALL the damn hybrids need to be kicked out of the HOV lanes. They burn gas! PERIOD. Leave the HOV for high occupancy vehicles and BEV's.

The purpose of the HOV is to eliminate harmful gases into the atmosphere. Putting one DRIVER with another accomplishes that, carrying a baby in a car seat does not. Neither does letting a plug-in hybrid because of the gasoline they are burning while screaming down the HOV lane.
 
Tried to send you a private message but....As someone also from Arizona, ALL the damn hybrids need to be kicked out of the HOV lanes. They burn gas! PERIOD. Leave the HOV for high occupancy vehicles and BEV's.

The purpose of the HOV is to eliminate harmful gases into the atmosphere. Putting one DRIVER with another accomplishes that, carrying a baby in a car seat does not. Neither does letting a plug-in hybrid because of the gasoline they are burning while screaming down the HOV lane.
. I think the basics of the program can be traced back to the scandalous alt fuels incentives of 2000. If you lived here then you will probably recall a few unscrupulous lawmakers were in cahoots with some guys that added tiny propane tanks to gas vehicles. My neighbor had a big Ford truck with a tiny propane add-on tank that he never used. I think he got a $40k truck for about half price after the state tax credit -- and people got the full credit even if it exceeded their state tax liability.
 
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Have you checked the prices recently? They have changed the price last year to $22 or more.

You are correct! Just checked and it is indeed now $22. The cost is, of course, not the real issue. It's whether the program will even exist past Jan 2019. I suspect it won't, given in many parts of the state the congestion in the carpool lane is just as bad as in the other lanes now. Wait and see I guess. I still plan to plop down the cash when we get the Model 3 (even if I only get 6 months or so out of it!)
 
HOV lanes will work best when they are restricted to vehicles with multiple occupants.
Yes, as I recall, the original purpose of HOV lanes in California was twofold:
1. reduce the number of vehicles to reduce the amount of pollutants
2. reduce the number of vehicles to reduce congestion

I believe an HOV was originally defined as either 3 or 4 occupants. Today those criteria have been compromised in both good and not so good ways by BEVs that produce zero emissions but yet increase congestion in HOV lanes with one occupant. So, I think that California will start tinkering with the criteria to address the congestion in the HOV lanes, at least for certain times during the day.

The other issue is the speed in the HOV lanes, which are single lane with no passing in most cases. Some users drive the speed limit while others want to exceed the speed limit by 10 or 15 mph which creates frustration and resentment by both types. I don't have an answer.
 
You are correct! Just checked and it is indeed now $22. The cost is, of course, not the real issue. It's whether the program will even exist past Jan 2019.

Today's Law As Amended

It looks like the way the current bill is written, the CA HOV access will live on for quite some time. Whats a little confusing is how the stickers are going to work.. but from what I picked up, it appears any green or white stickers issued after 1/1/17 can be updated to the soon-to-be new HOV sticker with an expiration date of 1/1/22. Any stickers issued after 1/1/19 will be valid for 4 years from issue date.

* if you receive the CA CVRP rebate and you are above a certain income level, you are not eligible for the HOV sticker

(b) (1) In addition to the requirements in subdivision (a), an applicant is eligible for a decal, label, or other identifier issued pursuant to subdivision (a) if the applicant is the owner of the vehicle and has not applied for or received a consumer rebate pursuant to the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, established as part of the Air Quality Improvement Program pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 44274) of Chapter 8.9 of Part 5 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, unless the rebate was or will be issued to a buyer whose annual income falls below one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for a person who files a tax return as a single person, two hundred four thousand dollars ($204,000) for a person who files a tax return as a head of household, and three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for a person who files a joint tax return.
 
Yes, as I recall, the original purpose of HOV lanes in California was twofold:
1. reduce the number of vehicles to reduce the amount of pollutants
2. reduce the number of vehicles to reduce congestion

I believe an HOV was originally defined as either 3 or 4 occupants. Today those criteria have been compromised in both good and not so good ways by BEVs that produce zero emissions but yet increase congestion in HOV lanes with one occupant. So, I think that California will start tinkering with the criteria to address the congestion in the HOV lanes, at least for certain times during the day.

The other issue is the speed in the HOV lanes, which are single lane with no passing in most cases. Some users drive the speed limit while others want to exceed the speed limit by 10 or 15 mph which creates frustration and resentment by both types. I don't have an answer.

Where I drive if the car pool lane is going faster than 25 mph I'm extremely happy. Often it's the same stop and go as the rest of the lanes.
 
Sorry to hear it wouldn't be a big loss in parts of CA to be kicked out of car pool lanes due to gridlock in them. That's certainly not the case in most of Phoenix...yet. In fact, we almost have the opposite problem at times. I find myself frequently slowing down a bit in car pool lanes because of the careless lane jumpers. (We don't have designated entry points like some of the carpool lanes in CA, but we sure need them as people dart out in front of me quite often.)
 
As EVs become more common, the rule in some states that EVs with only a single occupant can use the HOV/car pool lanes will have to change. Here in California the HOV lanes I am familiar with are often no faster than the other lanes. That isn't primarily due to EVs with a single occupant using the lanes, but they contribute to the issue.

HOV lanes will work best when they are restricted to vehicles with multiple occupants.

On days when CHP is enforcing the rules, the car pool lane sure does move faster. :)
 
Today's Law As Amended

It looks like the way the current bill is written, the CA HOV access will live on for quite some time. Whats a little confusing is how the stickers are going to work.. but from what I picked up, it appears any green or white stickers issued after 1/1/17 can be updated to the soon-to-be new HOV sticker with an expiration date of 1/1/22. Any stickers issued after 1/1/19 will be valid for 4 years from issue date.

* if you receive the CA CVRP rebate and you are above a certain income level, you are not eligible for the HOV sticker

Very strange, what does income have to do with use of HOV lane. Sounds like being successful is a sin in CA.
 
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Anyone know anything about Utah's HOV access and BEVs?

I see Utah got rid of its tax rebate, not sure if this is gone as well?

I have a BMW i3, (Tesla Model 3 on its way sometime next year) and basically there are only 6500 HOV access licenses for electrics given out at any given time. You put yourself on a waiting list and you could be randomly selected when a spot becomes available. I was able to get one after waiting for 6 months.

Details here:
Utah Department of Transportation
 
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