Carpool (HOV) lane access extension for ZEVs

Discussion in 'General' started by Chandra Kshtriya, Apr 19, 2018.

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  1. Chandra Kshtriya

    Chandra Kshtriya New Member

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  3. Feed The Trees

    Feed The Trees Active Member

    Can I tell you something

    Nobody around here patrols the HOV lanes. I have never once ever in my travels seen someone pulled over for single driver in carpool. Never. Not in years. Im sure it happens but it's a rarity. I dont drive HOV highways anymore so it doesn't matter, but I was totally willing to bag a ticket here and there as a quasi entrance fee.
     
    Cypress likes this.
  4. TeslaInvestors

    TeslaInvestors Active Member

    I reject the idea that ZEV means cleaner. Many hybrids are cleaner than the 100 KWh Teslas and other long range BEVs, that consume as much energy and pollute as much as a gas car will in 8 years just to make the big battery pack.
    And I actually have a ZEV car since 2014 with HOV sticker.
    If you do whole life cycle analysis, the PHEVs and HEVs may actually be cleaner.
    Unless you can assure that the ZEVs only charge from pure sunlight/wind energy, the claim that ZEVs are really greener is pure baloney. I'll rather have 10 PHEV drivers than 2 long range ZEVs sucking up valuable battery resources and doing little to reduce overall emission.

    At the end, the HOV sticker is just another carrot to dangle for the consumers to buy new tech cars and boost the economy. Are you saying that the new cars bought in 2017 only got less than a year of HOV access? I thought, they were for 4 years from the time you buy the car. If the cars sold in 2017 got less than a year, then that does seem unfair.
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2018
  5. Feed The Trees

    Feed The Trees Active Member

    If you google 'carpool lane cheater rate' you find articles like this one which claims 41% of the cars are cheating in a certain area.

    http://abc7news.com/traffic/dramatic-rise-in-carpool-cheaters-in-bay-area/975289/

    In doing this I was also reading a story that CA is testing cameras to count occupants, but it would require a state law to permit it as cameras can only be used for red lights and toll booths, not moving violations like speeding or HOV. Interesting read. The ticket they talk about in this is $490. I would say if you get caught 1x a year and do this 200 times it's just a $2.45 toll. And I dont think it's moving violation so no insurance hit, but that could be wrong.

    https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/The-battle-to-catch-Bay-Area-carpool-cheats-takes-12799627.php

    There's some stuff from Seattle too. It doesn't give rates but says they only have like 135 total troopers to enforce all road issues and of course they're not all on at the same time. Only a $136 ticket, wouldn't stop me I tell you that.

    https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/how-many-hov-lane-cheaters-are-there-and-how-many-get-caught/
     
  6. TeslaInvestors

    TeslaInvestors Active Member

    The HOV lanes have already become useless in LA and San Francisco area. They are so crowded by electrics and semi-electrics that it sometimes moves slower than the regular lanes.
    Add to that the fact that you can get a fasttrak card that allows you to travel in the HOV lane for some charge, and the HOV loses a big chunk of its appeal. There is some advantage where fasttrak lanes don't exist and someone needs to commute during the morning & evening rush hours. But not a lot.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2018
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  8. Cypress

    Cypress Active Member

    PNW
    I don’t get the whole thing about allowing EVs carpool access. Was it mostly to promote adoption of EVs? Or was there some other logic?
     
  9. Feed The Trees

    Feed The Trees Active Member

    It's a reward for ev drivers.

    Here's some rubs.

    EVs on the whole are more expensive, so if your lanes are clear it's a boon for the wealthy that can afford one or an extra car for commuting.

    EVs are also the cleanest cars. While totally backwards you'd want the dirtiest cars to get on and off faster, not let them idle and putter about slowly meandering their way through traffic. They sit there producing extra smog because they have less lanes to use. They more than offset the benefits of an EV. How is this better?

    Mentioned above the hov lanes in some areas are over clogged with EV cars so what's the point anyways?
     
  10. Stephen Shiffrin

    Stephen Shiffrin New Member

    The idea behind HOV lanes was to clean the air by having less cars on the road (two or more persons in the vehicle vs. each driving their own car). So it was an incentive to car pool. Allowing BEVs and PHEVs into the lanes is merely an extension of the concept. Encouraging drivers to use cars that pollute less by allowing them to drive in HOV lane.
     
  11. marshall

    marshall Well-Known Member

    I own a PHEV and I don't support the EV, HOV sticker. The HOV lanes should be reserved for carpooling and buses.
     
    bwilson4web likes this.
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  13. JyChevyVolt

    JyChevyVolt Active Member

    I like the new law forcing people to upgrade their EV to gain access to the carpool lane.

    By forcing sticker seeking people to upgrade every 3 years, it will bring more affordable used EVs on the market.
     
    Johnhaydev and bwilson4web like this.

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