Latest news with #GregWallis
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
California's HOV Access for EV Drivers Could Disappear Later This Year
California may lose access to a popular EV incentive that allows drivers of electric and plug-in-hybrid cars to use HOV lanes without passengers. A federal statute that expires on September 30 allows California to extend HOV-lane access to single-occupancy cars. Legislators in California want to extend the incentive, but lawmakers in Washington have not made any moves to do so. California drivers with low-emission vehicles have long been allowed to enjoy the perks of the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, no matter the amount of passengers they carry. That perk may soon be coming to an end, though, as reported by Automotive News. The federal statute that allows states to give low-emission cars special access to HOV lanes is set to expire on September 30. The AN report says that California lawmakers want to extend the provision, but legislators in Washington D.C. have not made any moves in that direction. Greg Wallis, a Republican state assemblyman who authored a bill to extend the bill in California, called the program a "key incentive." "Many California auto buyers purchase ZEVs to access HOV lanes," Wallis said in a statement. "I strongly encourage the Trump administration to extend the program to keep our transportation transition moving in the right direction." Since 1998, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century has allowed states to permit drivers of single-occupancy vehicles to use HOV lanes, so long as their car is "certified as an inherently low-emission vehicle." A year later, California introduced its Clean Air Vehicle Decal program that incentivized the switch to more efficient vehicles. Cars are only eligible for the decal program once, and the incentive isn't transferable. The program requires ICE cars to meet California's SULEV and Federal ILEV emission standards, plug-in-hybrid cars to meet California's TZEV standards, or be 100 percent battery-electric or hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered vehicles. The potential loss of the HOV incentive is one of many recent blows to electric vehicles, but the program's efficiency was already at risk. As AN reports, the number of decals the California DMV issued to EVs increased by 52 percent between 2023 and 2024, so as the program's popularity has increased, the benefits of the restricted HOV-lane access have decreased. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
California's carpool lane perk for EVs nears the end of the road
The federal law that enables California's electric vehicles to use the high-occupancy vehicle lane without passengers is set to expire, spelling a likely end to a popular incentive amid broader attacks on EV-friendly policies. The change will come at a time of political polarization around clean transportation and as President Donald Trump's administration proposes eliminating other electric vehicle incentives such as the individual $7,500 EV tax credit. The federal statute says public authorities can allow use of carpool lanes by single-occupancy vehicles meeting certain conditions until Sept. 30. California legislators want to extend the window, but lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have yet to introduce a bill or otherwise move to authorize an extension. California allows certain vehicles, including EVs, to use the high-occupancy vehicle lane without passengers. The table below illustrates the program's popularity over the years as it is set to expire in September. Total decals issued 2019 98,634 2020 59,173 2021 84,493 2022 118,750 2023 128,122 2024 194,486 Total 683,658 Source: California Department of Motor Vehicles Republican State Assemblymember Greg Wallis, who authored the bill to extend the HOV lane rule in California, called it a 'key incentive.' 'Many California auto buyers purchase ZEVs to access HOV lanes,' he said in a statement. 'I strongly encourage the Trump administration to extend the program to keep our transportation transition moving in the right direction.' In 2024, the state's Department of Motor Vehicles issued 194,486 stickers allowing cars to use the HOV lane with single occupancy through the Clean Air Vehicle decal program. That's a 52 percent increase from 2023's 128,122 decals. The popularity of the program paradoxically undermines its efficiency. As more vehicles are able to use the HOV lane, it becomes more crowded, eroding the incentive for both clean-air vehicle drivers and those making a concerted effort to carpool. 'You're going to reach some point where you've exhausted that excess capacity,' said John Swanton, an air pollution specialist with the California Air Resource Board's communications office. 'We're not at the point where, no matter what we do, it's totally exhausted, but the challenge to our legislature is how to keep this a meaningful incentive.' The 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century allowed states to permit a vehicle with fewer than two occupants to operate in the HOV lane if the vehicle is 'certified as an inherently low-emission vehicle.' That law enabled California to create its decal program in 1999, which was designed to incentivize the adoption of new technologies. 'This has been absolutely instrumental,' Swanton said. 'It was a tool used to essentially promote more rapid adoption of those technologies and it did it by utilizing excess capacity in the HOV lanes.' Sign up for the weekly Automotive News Mobility Report newsletter for the latest developments at the intersection of transportation and technology. There have been several versions of the decal program, with different powertrain requirements for eligibility. Now, qualifying vehicles must be 100 percent electric or hydrogen-fuel cell vehicles, plug-in hybrids that meet certain conditions or compressed natural gas vehicles that meet certain conditions. The federally granted state authority to use the HOV lane to encourage clean transport expires in September. Wallis, the California lawmaker, authored a bill that extended the state program until Jan. 1, 2027 ― pending extended federal authorization. There are several considerations for extending the federal law. Those in favor say it would continue to incentivize zero-emissions vehicles at a key moment for the energy transition. Sales for EVs are still growing, but at a slower clip than in years past. 'It would provide a small but an additional incentive to support the growth of the zero-emission vehicle market,' said John Boesel, CEO of CALSTART, a nonprofit focused on clean transportation. However, the inclusion of clean-air vehicles in the HOV lane does not motivate carpooling to reduce congestion overall, which is the true purpose of the lane. There are other ways the state can leverage HOV lanes to reduce congestion and pollution ― for example, by charging a toll for use of the lane that can fund other transportation programs. The decal initiative would also require a federal extension when policies encouraging EV adoption are under threat. The Republican-led Congress has introduced a bill to eliminate the individual $7,500 EV tax credit. California's EV policies are of particular import to Republicans because the state has a waiver from the EPA to write its own, stricter greenhouse gas emissions standards. Critics say this creates a system of dual regulations for automakers. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana has identified eliminating the California waiver as a priority for the legislature. 'The general consensus is that this is not going to be a deal-breaker' if the incentive is not extended, CARB's Swanton said. 'Nowadays, the number of folks that only buy [a qualifying vehicle] because they have this carpool incentive is pretty small.' Have an opinion about this story? Tell us about it and we may publish it in print. Click here to submit a letter to the editor.
