[OddManOut Posted Apr 24th 2007 4:26AM]

"In reply to OddManOut, the rationale appears to be that the State of California provides a mild incentive (in the form of the HOV sticker) to purchase a hybrid. I am guessing the emissions issue drives this decision."

Yeah, I get that (thanks for the reply though). But it doesn't make sense. If a hybrid vehicleis traveling at freeway speeds, it is almost certainly running off the gasoline engine...ie it's burning gas just like any other car. In fact (and this is the critical part) under those circumstances it is burning MORE of it per mile than my Dads CRX, which passed smog this year. Does a Prius's 1.5l gasoline engine burn THAT much cleaner than a CRX's 1.5l

So why is this privilege not being made available to a car that performs the given criteria better ?

And 'Mark' makes good point, stop and go or slow moving traffic is when the Prius uses it's batteries, and thus doesn't pollute. Under those conditions, hybrid/electric cars are the LAST you'd want to get off the road (as they are the ones doing the least damage). 4 ton suvs would be the ones you'd want to hustle off the road. They are LEAST efficient in stop and go, take up more space per vehicle and there's a ton more of them... THINK ABOUT IT!!!!

I know, I know...it's just designed to get new car buyers to buy Hybrids, just like the proposed pollution tax/rebate here in cali (drive an efficient car, get over $2k back, drive a gas guzzler PAY up to $2k, with most cars falling somewhere in between).

It's still silly though. It's like you're rewarding people for choosing not pollute on surface streets by giving them free reign to pollute on the freeway...