"Bad news, electric vehicle owners. Starting Monday morning, one of California's longest-running incentives for people to buy electric cars a program that provided access to carpool lanes regardless of how many people are in a zero-emission vehicle is coming to end. The Clean Air Vehicle decal program expired Oct. 1, after Republican leaders in Congress and the Trump administration declined to reauthorize the federal law that allowed it."
"Two months ago, the California Highway Patrol gave motorists across the state a 60-day grace period until Dec. 1. That's Monday. The CHP says it will begin writing tickets for solo EV drivers who are in carpool lanes during restricted times from here on out. Starting Monday it will be an enforceable violation, said Sgt. Andrew Barclay, a CHP spokesman."
"A violation ticket for driving solo in carpool lanes in California, also known as diamond lanes, or high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, is a minimum $490 fine. The colorful Clean Air Vehicle stickers have given drivers of Teslas, Priuses, Leafs, Rivians and other electric vehicles privileges to cruise along carpool lanes during commute times on congested roads like Highway 101 in Silicon Valley, 880 in the East Bay or the 405 freeway in Los Angeles."
The Clean Air Vehicle decal program expired Oct. 1 and a 60-day grace period provided by the California Highway Patrol ended Dec. 1. Starting Dec. 1, solo drivers of zero-emission vehicles may be ticketed for use of HOV lanes during restricted times. Officers can issue citations despite previously issued stickers. A minimum fine for a solo HOV violation is $490. The federal provision allowing states to permit EV access to carpool lanes dated to the 2015 Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act and expired Sept. 30 after Congress and the Trump administration declined to reauthorize it. Electric vehicles previously benefited from these privileges for about 25 years.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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