Washington Post reporter seeks help on hybrids

IMO ....
When it comes to hybrids in the HOV lanes ...
"Nearly ALL hybrids are 'slugless'", and
"Hybrids should be 'slugged'". [:D]

Steve,
I am opposed to allowing hybrid's use the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV). From my recollection, the HOV lanes were constructed as a result of the oil crises in the late 70's. Basically this was the government's attempt to encourage carpooling to reduce gas consumption but the only way they could encourage carpooling was to provide a real advantage - a shorter commute. If you were willing to carpool you were rewarded with less traffic and a faster commute. Clean air and reduced emission were a byproduct otherwise they would have been called "Clean Air Lanes"...

I applaud those who wish to purchase clean fuel vehicles, but are they really purchasing them for clean air or are they really just trying to shorten their commute? How many CF vehicles do you see on I95?

If you really want to make the case for the environment, the government should mandate that CF vehicles should NOT be allowed on the HOV where they are using their combustion engine and not the battery. To really maximize the advantages of the vehicle it should be used at low speeds (to use the battery) and in stop and go traffic which, by the way, is I95 not the HOV!

Now let's take this CF vehicle exemption to the logical extension if continued.
1) Instead of one vehicle on the road with three passengers you now have three vehicles with a single occupant each. But, it's actually more line 5 or 10 times the volume because a three fold increase only accounts for the people willing to carpool in the first place. There are thousands more who are unwilling to tolerate the insignificant inconvienences of carpooling. For the first time in their lives, they will become temporarily concerned with the environment and pretend it has nothing to do with the commute.
2) The three hybrid vehicle probably emit more emissions than the one non-hybrid it tends to replace.
3) Instead of one non-hybrid vehicle, there are now three hybrid vehicles on the highways which results in more highway maintenance. If pot holes are created after, say 100,000 vehicles, pass a give spot, then you have just triple the maintenance costs for the state.
4) Parking, already at a premium in DC, become even more expensive as more vehicle must find parking.
5) Worst of all, the HOV become worthless as an incentive to encourage high occupancy. If the HOV does not provide an advantage to sharing your car, then most people simply won't rideshare.

If CF vehicle were really about clean air and the environment, and not about the commute, then they should be held to the same standard as other vehiles and be required to have three occupants.

K2 - where are you slugging to and from. 2 to 2.5 hours each way???? You must be from Richmond! [?]

Well, I obviously can't speak for K2, but I live in Fredericksburg and it can easily take 2 hours to get to and from work. I leave home at 6:30am and get to work by 8:30 (8 if it's a light day). It's just as long in the evenings.

I agree, va. Anything more than an hour (max) is too long. It's definitely not something I'll be able to do indefinitely.