August 30, 2004

California to open Car Pool lanes to Fuel Conscious cars

My Anti-Ford ranting continues....

Mr. Schwarzenegger does not drive a Prius, still preferring his signature Hummer. But the governor, a Republican, is poised to do something equally unthinkable - and calamitous, some detractors in the American automobile industry insist, because their vehicles do not compete with the fuel efficiency of the Prius.

Aides to the governor say he will sign legislation approved on Thursday that could allow up to 75,000 hybrid drivers, mainly those behind the wheel of a gas-sipping Prius, to use car pool lanes even when taking to the road alone. The governor hopes the perk will encourage more people to buy the cleaner-burning cars, but by doing so, he will give the Japanese-made Prius vaunted status in a state where nearly 30 million registered vehicles compete for every inch of open asphalt.

Opponents of the law, who include the Ford Motor Company are asking the Govenator "to veto the legislation because no American-built vehicle would qualify" and that the law "puts our workers and stockholders at a competitive disadvantage precisely when Ford is entering the hybrid market with a family-oriented, no compromise S.U.V."

Posted by bkirsten at August 30, 2004 01:58 PM | |