Poll Shows 2-to-1 Opposition to Hybrid Car Access to HOV Lanes
Results of month-long poll of on-line readers shows little support for hybrid car incentive.
(PRWEB) February 3, 2005 -- Congress may soon be debating whether or not
drivers of hybrid electric cars will be permitted to drive alone in High
Occupancy Vehicle "Diamond" lanes during rush hour traffic. While California,
Arizona and Virginia have all passed legislation allowing such access, Congress
must revise current law which bans such access on any highways built with
federal funds. HOV access is seen as an incentive for consumers to buy more fuel
efficient, low-pollution vehicles.
Congressmen Darrell Issa (R.CA) and
State Representative Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) are slated to introduce the
"Hybrid Vehicle Access Act" in Washington, D.C. this week, which would allow
hybrid cars that get better than 45 mpg to drive in the HOV lanes.
Currently, hybrid car drivers are entitled to a $2000 federal income tax
deduction when they purchase approved models that include the Toyota Prius,
Honda Insight, Civic and Accord and the Ford Escape Hybrid. Some 88,000
gasoline-electric hybrids were sold in the United States in 2004. Projections in
2004 by California's Air Resources Board estimated that the number of hybrids in
the state by 2007 at 110,000. California's HOV law would limit the number
vehicles granted access to 75,000.
In Virginia, where hybrid drivers
commuting into Washington, D.C. every day can already take advantage of that
state's law, complaints are being raised that its HOV lanes are already
congested by many of the nearly 7,000 gasoline-electric cars registered in the
state last year.
A recent San Jose Mercury News poll of its readers
indicated that they disapproved of hybrid car access in HOV lanes by 6-to-1,
results that are confirmed by a month-long poll conducted by EVWorld.Com (http://www.evworld) of its readers,
who were asked specifically, "Should hybrid-electric vehicles be given
unrestricted access to HOV Diamond lanes regardless of their fuel efficiency
rating?"
It is this aspect of California's law that has rankled American
automakers, Ford Motor Company, in particular, because its Escape Hybrid's EPA
fuel economy average is 33.5 mpg, double the efficiency of its non-Hybrid
counterpart.
A total of 697 EV World readers responded to the survey and
65% answered "No", while 30% checked "Yes". Just over 4 percent replied they
were "Unsure". This response strongly suggests that among EV World readers, an
estimated 15% of whom own hybrid vehicles, that any legislation that permits HOV
access should have a minimum fuel efficiency requirement associated with it. It
may also indicate, like the Mercury News poll, general opposition to the HOV
incentive for any and all hybrid vehicles.
About EV World
Published
weekly online since 1998, EV World features original content on a wide range of
topics related to advanced, alternative fuel technologies from the latest in
battery, hybrid-electric and fuel cell vehicles to renewable energy progress and
policy. The publication has interviewed such notables as General Wesley Clark,
former CIA director James Woolsey and "The Hype About Hydrogen" author Joseph
Romm. Interviews are available in text and MP3 audio format. EV refers to
"electric vehicle."
While premium content is available to subscribers
only, much of the site, including daily news updates and archived interviews and
feature stories, are available free to all readers. EV World conducts reader
polls each month, with this month's question being, "Do you believe that China's
growing appetite for oil will eventually bring it into conflict with the United
States"?
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb204423.htm