No More Free Parking for Hybrids

By Lookout Staff

June 21, 2011 – Starting July 1, hybrid cars will no longer qualify for yellow clean air vehicle decals, and that means they'll lose the perks that come with the classification.

Since 2002, Santa Monica has encouraged people to use clean air vehicles by letting them use metered parking for free, though they still have to obey time limits and pay to park in parking structures.

The State clean air vehicle standards has categorized hybrids as clean air vehicles since 2004 because they get at least 45 miles to the gallon.

An impending change in the state standards, however, means that hybrid drivers won't be able to renew their cars' clean air vehicle status after this summer.

The free meter parking in Santa Monica only extends to clean air vehicles. Though electric cars and other “zero-emission” vehicles still qualify, if hybrid drivers try to park without paying the meter, they will end up paying a ticket.

Hybrid drivers have also, until now, been able to drive solo in California's carpool or high occupancy lanes, but that will also change.

The new standards which “will allow solo drivers in as many as 40,000 advanced technology vehicles to use carpool lanes,” do not include hybrids, according to the Department of Motor Vehicle's website.