Hybrid cars. Their time may be now.
Schwarzenegger backs hybrids in state’s carpool lanes
Car pool lanes are widely used on busy freeways in California and on freeway onramps. They are reserved for cars with 2-3 people in them and for zero emission vehicles.
However that may be about to change. Gov. Schwarzenegger wants to allow hybrids in the carpool lanes. As a Toyota Prius hybrid owner, all I can say is YIPPIE! This is not a trivial matter, on a busy freeway day (that’s most days here in L.A.) carpool lanes can cut driving time dramatically.
A few days ago I got a mailing from a local Toyota dealer, specifically targetting Prius owners. The dealer wants to buy used Priuses, as many they can get. To entice us, they have a contest with a $10,000 cash first prize plus $6,000 off a new behemoth SUV. (Methinks they are badly misreading the Prius market if they think we will swap a Prius for an SUV, especially now that gas may go to $3 a gallon and we may be able to use car pool lanes)
To enter the contest I merely need to come in. They guarantee a prize worth at least $300. The waiting list for a new Prius is six months, and demand is far higher than supply, hence they want those used Priuses. Well, they ain’t getting mine!
Here’s another reason hybrids make sense, LosAngelesGasPrices.com