Chevy Volt owners will eventually get this valuable sticker -- but not immediately after the law changes.
Initially denied the coveted pass to California’s time-saving carpool lanes, the Chevrolet Volt will get a break – but not until 2012.
California has decided to pull the value decals that give access to the HOV lanes from conventional hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius, providing that perk, instead, to the new battery-electric vehicles that will soon hit market in increasing numbers. But as TheDetroitBureau.com first reported, the revised rules notably excluded the Chevy Volt extended-range electric vehicle, or E-REV, because while driven in gasoline mode it didn’t quite make the tough P-ZEV emission standard.
(Click Here for the original July 28, 2010 report.)
But rules being made to be broken, especially in California, all these changes are changing again.
Under the revised bill Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed, the 85,000 traditional hybrids that were given HOV stickers will continue to have access for an extra six months – through the end of June 2011.
"Governator" Arnold Schwarzenegger checks out a prototype Plug-In Hummer.
An unlimited number of BEVs, such as the 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric, will be permitted to use the carpool lanes even with just one person aboard.
But 40,000 plug-in vehicles will now gain access to the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, as well. But not until 2012 in the case of Volt. By then, program manager Tony Posawatz tells TheDetroitBureau.com, an upgraded exhaust system will bring the Chevy E-REV into compliance with the P-ZEV (for Partial-Zero-Emission Vehicle) mandate, anyway.
Posawatz believes that having access to the HOV lanes isn’t critical, but he acknowledges it’s a definite perk that many California buyers seek out, even if they aren’t by nature environmentally-minded. A check of used car vehicle websites has shown that, since the original program went into effect, in 2007, a Prius with an HOV sticker could routinely command an extra $4,000 at resale.
(On the other hand, there has been strong opposition from those who feel the added access led to a slowdown in traffic in the normally fast-moving HOV lanes, often because Prius owners would be driving below speed limit hoping to hyper-mile.)
By shifting focus to BEVs and plug-ins, sponsors are hoping to enhance the appeal of the next generation of battery-based vehicles, said California state Senator Leland Yee. He believes it will “jump-start sales of those green vehicles.”
California police aggressively enforce access to the HOV lanes and fines for unauthorized use can run into the hundreds of dollars, but authorities note there has also been a small but lucrative black market business developing in the trade for counterfeit HOV decals.