Under the new
transportation bill, solo drivers in hybrid
cars will be able to utilize the carpool lane.
In places like California, the carpool
lane was intended for hybrid vehicles because of their
reduced emissions, not just because of fuel efficiency.
"The air emission standards are very
important," said California Assemblywoman Fran
Pavley on Friday. "We wouldn't want a hybrid that
gets 45 miles a gallon but has higher emissions to be
out there. It's more important to encourage those cars
to operate at the cleanest emission levels."
Contrary to many hybrid critics, the issue of the car
pool lane isn't just about fuel efficiency, in fact, in
states like California it is about air quality, not fuel
economy.
Thus, some hybrids might not qualify. It appears as
though only the Toyota
Prius, Honda
Civic hybrid, and Toyota Insight hybrid will
qualify.
Other hybrids, such as the Toyota Highlander hybrid and the Ford Escape hybrid will not qualify.
For more read, California's hybrid vehicle carpool lane policy
