"A rough year for electric vehicle adoption just got a little rougher for owners in some parts of the US. Starting next month, EVs will no longer be able to ride in the fast lane in California, after the US federal government and Congress failed to reauthorize a popular program that has given hybrid and electric vehicles access to state carpool lanes-and worked to promote the sale of electrics for more than 25 years."
"Under the program, California drivers with qualifying electric, plug-in hybrid, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could purchase $27 stickers that gave them access to several highway carpool lanes, plus discounts on a number of toll roads and bridges-even if a driver was alone in their car. Over 1 million decals have been issued to California drivers since the program's start in 1999, and hundreds of thousands of vehicles have decals today."
"California isn't alone. Another pilot project that gave some New York state electric-vehicle drivers access to carpool lanes will also end. Over 48,000 New Yorkers had received decals through that Clean Pass program. The programs are ending because they were not reauthorized by the president and Congress, says Walter McClure, a spokesperson for the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. The White House did not respond to WIRED's questions about why President Donald Trump chose not to reauthorize the program."
Starting next month, electric vehicles will lose access to California fast lanes because a federal program granting carpool-lane privileges to qualifying low-emission vehicles was not reauthorized. The program allowed California drivers of qualifying electric, plug-in hybrid, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to purchase $27 stickers for carpool-lane access and toll discounts, and over one million decals were issued since 1999. California decals become invalid after September 30 with no refunds. A similar New York Clean Pass program ending affected over 48,000 drivers. Federal non-reauthorization by the president and Congress prompted the program terminations.
Read at WIRED
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