Owners of hybrid cars in California began applying for $8 decals Thursday that will allow them to drive solo in carpool lanes. But some drivers are going to be disappointed: The state says only three hybrids -- the Honda Civic, Honda Insight and Toyota Prius -- will be allowed.
That leaves four others on the market, the Honda Accord, Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX 400h and Ford Escape, off the list.
Ford, in the midst of a publicity campaign touting its hybrids as a symbol of its environmental commitment, is not happy.
"The U.S. Congress determined the formula for hybrid vehicles in [carpool] lanes with single occupants, and in that law, the Ford Escape hybrid is equal to the Toyota Prius," said Mike Moran, a spokesman for Ford Motor Co. in Washington, D.C.
"It's not about picking certain cars and excluding others," he added.
The national highway bill that President Bush signed into law on Wednesday allows states to let hybrids into carpool lanes. But California passed a law last year that sets stricter standards than the national standards for mileage and emissions.
"Rather than follow the federal requirement, we decided that cleaner cars should be allowed in," said Gennet Paauwe, a spokeswoman for the state Air Resources Board. "We've always had more advanced air pollution measures here because of the particular challenges we face."
California's effort to push cleaner, high-mileage cars is running up against the auto industry's strategy of using hybrid technology in larger cars and SUVs.
Automakers are rushing to add more hybrids in the next two years, including other models from Lexus and Ford, as well as vehicles from Saturn, Nissan and Chevrolet. Few, if any, of those new models will make the cut to get into the state's 1,112 miles of carpool lanes.
"I think people don't necessarily buy vehicles because they're allowed in the carpool lane as a solo driver," Paauwe said. "But the carpool lane law is an incentive to buy hybrids. While people may be upset that they can't drive solo as others can, there will probably be further introductions of other types of vehicles that will qualify in the future."
Despite the strict rules, most of the 57,000 currently registered hybrid cars in the state will be allowed in the diamond lanes, Paauwe said.
Still, Raj Valluri said she feels left out.
"I think it's definitely unfair," said the 32-year-old Folsom software project manager, who has owned a Ford Escape since March. "If they pass some rule, it should be applicable to all hybrids."
