Latest news with #CleanAirVehicleDecal
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
California EV drivers could lose their carpool lane privileges in September
For the last two decades, more than a million motorists who have slapped "clean air vehicle" decals on their electric and hybrid cars have been free to cruise in carpool lanes with no passengers. But that perk could be coming to an end on Sept. 30 if Congress fails to extend California's Clean Air Vehicle Decal program. "Clean Air Vehicle Decals are a smart, cost-effective incentive that has played an important role driving the adoption of clean and zero-emission vehicles in California," read a statement from Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board. "But thanks to the federal government's failure to act, this successful program is coming to an end." You can still apply for a decal by Aug. 29, but it will become invalid on Oct. 2, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Extending the decal program in California — or any other state — would require the approval of Congress and the signature of President Trump, said Bill Magavern, policy director for the Coalition for Clean Air. "I certainly would not bet on that," Magavern said. "It seems that the only deadline that this Congress responds to are the deadlines that are set by Trump, and I really don't see him going out of his way to extend this program." Why this state program needs congressional approval Federal legislation has allowed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to grant solo drivers in low-emission and energy-efficient cars to use the carpool, or High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV), lane. The goal was to promote the adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles and assist in meeting environmental goals that included reducing fuel consumption and pollution caused by congested freeways, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Over time, states developed incentive programs, choosing which car models to give carpool access to. "Clearly in the early days of zero-emission cars, the carpool lane stickers were an important incentive for some drivers, particularly in places like the Bay Area and Los Angeles where there is major congestion," Magavern said. California is one of 13 states that offer this type of incentive program to its residents. Qualified drivers in the Golden State include those who drive fuel cell electric, natural gas or plug-in electric cars. Whether the program is still a major incentive, "with electric vehicles topping 20% of new sales, I think is open to question," Magavern said. However, the electric car advocacy group Plug In America said the program has always been a factor in the minds of consumers. "Just like a lot of other incentives, the HOV lane access through the Clean Air Vehicle Program is one of those things that drivers look to to assess the overall package of what it's like to either go electric or to get that next electric vehicle," said Alexia Martineau, senior policy manager for Plug in America. Not renewing the program means that those drivers just have one less reason in the positive column for going electric, Martineau said. In 2023, California had nearly 1.3 million light-duty electric vehicle registrations and was the only state to report such a high number. Behind California was Florida, with roughly 255,000 registrations, and Texas, with roughly 230,000, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. (Neither Florida nor Texas offers an incentive program.) In 2015, Congress authorized California's program through a highway funding bill, but that authorization is expiring as of Sept. 30. What's being done to extend the life of clean air vehicle decals In an effort to extend the decal program, state Assemblymember Greg Wallis (R-Bermuda Dunes) authored Assembly Bill 2678, which would push the end date to Jan. 1, 2027. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year but is lacking federal approval. Without federal approval, the bill becomes moot. "Putting the brakes on this program means that starting October 1, 2025, CAV decals will no longer be valid in California, or elsewhere in the United States," the Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement. "All vehicles will be required to meet posted vehicle occupancy to travel in carpool lanes and pay required tolls or risk receiving a citation." According to the California Air Resources Board, there are currently 519,000 active decals in the state, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. What could this mean for the state's environmental goals? Without the program, drivers will lose access to the carpool lane, but Magavern said it should also mean less congestion in the HOV lanes. "Now that California has hundreds of thousands of zero-emission vehicles, they can take up a lot of space in the HOV lanes, and those were meant to incentivize people to carpool," he said. In addition to drivers losing access to carpool lanes, the change could slow the progress the state has made in getting more people into alternative fuel vehicles and reducing pollution. California's goal for 2035 is that all new passenger vehicles sold in the state be zero-emission. Car technology today, such as battery-electric, plug-in hybrid-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles, is helping the state reach its goal, according to the California Air Resources Board. In fact, sales on electric vehicles have been on the rise in the state since 2011, with the exception of stagnant sales between 2018 and 2020, according to a report published by UC Davis. Today, one in four new cars sold in the state is an EV, Dahlia Garas, of the university's Electric Vehicle Research Center, said in the report. The university's Electric Vehicle Research Center conducted a survey of drivers from the start of the year until June and found that almost 30% of people said that without any state incentives, including the decal, they wouldn't have chosen to purchase an electric vehicle, said Scott Hardman, assistant director of the center. "We're still at a very fragile point in the transition to all vehicles being electric," Hardman said. "Only eight percent of the vehicles on the road are electric, and that's not enough for you to reach the point where the vehicles are a social norm." The Clean Air Vehicle Decal program is just one way the state is working toward its environmental goals — milestones that have recently come under attack, including California's decades-old authority to enforce its own environmental standards. Recently, U.S. House representatives voted to prohibit California from banning the sale of new gasoline-only cars by 2035 and end California's ability to set emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks and to combat smog levels in the state. In Magavern's view, those actions are part of the Trump administration's "war" on California's air, water and climate. But even though the carpool decal program was once helpful in getting Californians to purchase electric vehicles, Magavern argues that times have changed. "I think that you can make a good argument that they've outlived their time and that it's more important to have the carpool lanes be filled by vehicles that actually have carpools in them," he said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Solve the daily Crossword
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
California EV drivers could lose their carpool lane privileges in September
For the last two decades, more than a million motorists who have slapped 'clean air vehicle' decals on their electric and hybrid cars have been free to cruise in carpool lanes with no passengers. But that perk could be coming to an end on Sept. 30 if Congress fails to extend California's Clean Air Vehicle Decal program. 'Clean Air Vehicle Decals are a smart, cost-effective incentive that has played an important role driving the adoption of clean and zero-emission vehicles in California,' read a statement from Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board. 'But thanks to the federal government's failure to act, this successful program is coming to an end.' You can still apply for a decal by Aug. 29, but it will become invalid on Oct. 2, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Extending the decal program in California — or any other state — would require the approval of Congress and the signature of President Trump, said Bill Magavern, policy director for the Coalition for Clean Air. 'I certainly would not bet on that,' Magavern said. 'It seems that the only deadline that this Congress responds to are the deadlines that are set by Trump, and I really don't see him going out of his way to extend this program.' Federal legislation has allowed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to grant solo drivers in low-emission and energy-efficient cars to use the carpool, or High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV), lane. The goal was to promote the adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles and assist in meeting environmental goals that included reducing fuel consumption and pollution caused by congested freeways, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Over time, states developed incentive programs, choosing which car models to give carpool access to. 'Clearly in the early days of zero-emission cars, the carpool lane stickers were an important incentive for some drivers, particularly in places like the Bay Area and Los Angeles where there is major congestion,' Magavern said. California is one of 13 states that offer this type of incentive program to its residents. Qualified drivers in the Golden State include those who drive fuel cell electric, natural gas or plug-in electric cars. Whether the program is still a major incentive, 'with electric vehicles topping 20% of new sales, I think is open to question,' Magavern said. However, the electric car advocacy group Plug In America said the program has always been a factor in the minds of consumers. 'Just like a lot of other incentives, the HOV lane access through the Clean Air Vehicle Program is one of those things that drivers look to to assess the overall package of what it's like to either go electric or to get that next electric vehicle,' said Alexia Martineau, senior policy manager for Plug in America. Not renewing the program means that those drivers just have one less reason in the positive column for going electric, Martineau said. In 2023, California had nearly 1.3 million light-duty electric vehicle registrations and was the only state to report such a high number. Behind California was Florida, with roughly 255,000 registrations, and Texas, with roughly 230,000, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. (Neither Florida nor Texas offers an incentive program.) In 2015, Congress authorized California's program through a highway funding bill, but that authorization is expiring as of Sept. 30. In an effort to extend the decal program, state Assemblymember Greg Wallis (R-Bermuda Dunes) authored Assembly Bill 2678, which would push the end date to Jan. 1, 2027. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year but is lacking federal approval. Without federal approval, the bill becomes moot. 'Putting the brakes on this program means that starting October 1, 2025, CAV decals will no longer be valid in California, or elsewhere in the United States,' the Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement. 'All vehicles will be required to meet posted vehicle occupancy to travel in carpool lanes and pay required tolls or risk receiving a citation.' According to the California Air Resources Board, there are currently 519,000 active decals in the state, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Without the program, drivers will lose access to the carpool lane, but Magavern said it should also mean less congestion in the HOV lanes. 'Now that California has hundreds of thousands of zero-emission vehicles, they can take up a lot of space in the HOV lanes, and those were meant to incentivize people to carpool,' he said. In addition to drivers losing access to carpool lanes, the change could slow the progress the state has made in getting more people into alternative fuel vehicles and reducing pollution. California's goal for 2035 is that all new passenger vehicles sold in the state be zero-emission. Car technology today, such as battery-electric, plug-in hybrid-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles, is helping the state reach its goal, according to the California Air Resources Board. In fact, sales on electric vehicles have been on the rise in the state since 2011, with the exception of stagnant sales between 2018 and 2020, according to a report published by UC Davis. Today, one in four new cars sold in the state is an EV, Dahlia Garas, of the university's Electric Vehicle Research Center, said in the report. The university's Electric Vehicle Research Center conducted a survey of drivers from the start of the year until June and found that almost 30% of people said that without any state incentives, including the decal, they wouldn't have chosen to purchase an electric vehicle, said Scott Hardman, assistant director of the center. 'We're still at a very fragile point in the transition to all vehicles being electric,' Hardman said. 'Only eight percent of the vehicles on the road are electric, and that's not enough for you to reach the point where the vehicles are a social norm.' The Clean Air Vehicle Decal program is just one way the state is working toward its environmental goals — milestones that have recently come under attack, including California's decades-old authority to enforce its own environmental standards. Recently, U.S. House representatives voted to prohibit California from banning the sale of new gasoline-only cars by 2035 and end California's ability to set emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks and to combat smog levels in the state. In Magavern's view, those actions are part of the Trump administration's 'war' on California's air, water and climate. But even though the carpool decal program was once helpful in getting Californians to purchase electric vehicles, Magavern argues that times have changed. 'I think that you can make a good argument that they've outlived their time and that it's more important to have the carpool lanes be filled by vehicles that actually have carpools in them,' he said.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Driving alone in an EV in the carpool lane? Your sticker is about to expire
Unless lawmakers on Capitol Hill move quickly, one of the most desired perks of driving a zero-emissions vehicle in California will be put on the shelf by the end of next month. For years, motorists with stickers on their cars through the state's Clean Air Vehicle Decal program have been allowed to drive in the carpool, or High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV), lane when traveling alone. Given the frustrating amount of traffic that often clogs California freeways, the program has been used as an incentive for people to buy electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell cars. It's estimated that 465,000 vehicles across the state have active decals attached to them. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 13 other states have similar incentives in place. States need authorization from the U.S. government to establish those programs and keep them in place because federal dollars flow into the highway system. Here's the problem: The authorization is set to expire at midnight on Sept. 30. "We are working with several federal legislators to try to extend the program," said Curt Augustine, senior director for state affairs at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group for the U.S. auto industry. "But it will require legislation and will need to be passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the president for that to happen." Can all that be done in time? "It is possible," Augustine said. "We're crossing our fingers. We've been working on it for about a year and a half already." The decal program "is ENDING," the California Department of Motor Vehicles website says, and the Clean Air Vehicle stickers "will no longer be valid" as of Oct. 1. Under a Frequently Asked Questions drop-down, the site says, "While the federal government gives the DMV the authority to create the CAVD program, the state must follow federal regulations that are expiring." That means unless something gets done fast in Washington, drivers starting Oct. 1 must "obey the posted vehicle occupancy requirement to travel in the carpool (HOV) lane or risk receiving a citation and fine." Augustine said the change is not due to the giant budget bill that recently passed on Capitol Hill with Republican support and signed into law by President Donald Trump. Dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," the 940-page legislation included getting rid of the federal tax credit of up to $7,500 on the purchase of electric vehicles, effective Sept. 30. "This is completely different," Augustine said, adding that the program's renewal has been stalled for a couple of years. "Unfortunately, zero-emissions vehicles have become somewhat politicized in our country and that has hindered some of our efforts to extend this program … It's a coincidence that it just happened to expire this year," he said. Augustine said extending the program cannot be done through a simple directive by a federal agency, such as the U.S. Department of Transportation. "It is law, so Congress will have to pass it," he said. If an extension is not passed in the coming weeks, the programs in California and other states can still be revived later if something eventually clears all the legislative and executive hurdles in Washington. "If it doesn't get done by Oct. 1, we are more hopeful that it could get done sometime next year," Augustine said. "We don't want a gap in the timing because that's very confusing to consumers - but having a gap in the program is better than having no program at all." Last year in the California Legislature, Assemblymember Greg Wallis, R-Bermuda Dunes, authored Assembly Bill 2678 that extended the decal program through Jan. 1, 2027. It passed both chambers in Sacramento was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. But the extension under AB 2678 cannot go into effect until something gets passed on Capitol Hill and signed by President Trump, Augustine, said because "federal law supersedes the state law" in this case. The California New Car Dealers Association has not taken a formal stance on whether the sticker program should be extended. "Ideally it would be great if the program could continue …. but it can't go on forever," said Brian Maas, the association's president. "It made sense when the carpool lanes weren't crowded to also include EVs. But we're at a place now where 20% of the California market is EVs. So the incentive, frankly, is much less than it used to be." In an email to the Union-Tribune, Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board, called the Clean Air Vehicle decals "a smart, cost-effective incentive that has played an important role driving the adoption of clean and zero-emission vehicles" in the state. "But thanks to the federal government's failure to act, this successful program is coming to an end," she said. "Despite the Trump administration's ongoing efforts to undermine progress, California remains committed to moving forward with the global market toward a zero-emission future." California leads all states in the sale of zero-emissions vehicles, with more than 2.3 million, according to the most recent numbers from the California Energy Commission. In an email, DMV spokesperson Jonathan Groveman said, "The federal government's decision to eliminate this smart and popular program will hurt hundreds of thousands of California drivers, and these drivers will have to pay the price. It's a lose-lose situation and the state is now looking at other options to provide this service to Californians." Groveman did not elaborate on what those options might be. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
