USA: Bill granting carpool stickers to plug-in hybrids signed into law

Coming eventually to a diamond lane near you: 40,000 plug-in hybrids that will be eligible for carpool stickers starting in 2012.

A bill signed into law late Monday night by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, SB 535, also extends the current carpool perk for hybrids by six months, until July 1, 2011.

The governor had already signed AB 1500, which extended until Jan. 1, 2015, the current carpool privileges for owners of electric vehicles and cars running on compressed natural gas. Those owners can immediately apply for white stickers, and there is no limit to how many can be issued.

SB 535 was sponsored by General Motors, maker of the Chevy Volt, one of the vehicles expected to qualify. The bill had the support of the California Electric Transportation Coalition, the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, Chrysler, PG&E, Tesla and Toyota.

“It is imperative that we find ways to limit our carbon footprint,” said state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, who authored the bill. “SB 535 will provide a great incentive for car manufacturers to develop higher emission standards and for individuals to purchase greener vehicles.”

Not everyone was thrilled with the new law.

Alex Wykes, automotive writer at TheTruthAboutCars.com in Burlingame, said, “GM and Toyota are for-profit corporations drafting legislation for California to boost their own sales.”

HybridCars.com and PluginCars.com, called SB 535 “the official warning shot to today’s hybrid owners: Upgrade to a plug-in car if you want to stay in the HOV lane. Conventional hybrids such as the Prius are now mainstream vehicles. It’s time to put the incentives on the next generation of cars that use even less petroleum, and in some case, none at all.”
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Source: mercurynews.com