Arizona has decided to put an end to one of the privileges most valued by electric car drivers: starting September 30, they will no longer be able to drive alone in the HOV lane. And if Congress does not say otherwise, this measure will extend to the rest of the country starting October 1. So remember that this change is not just local, it is nationwide.
All these years you could drive in the high-occupancy lane even if you were alone as long as you had an electric, but not anymore. Now, to be able to use those lanes in Arizona, you will need at least three people in the vehicle. Same as with any normal car.
Why this change?
Because those lanes, the HOV, were not invented to reward whoever had an electric car, but to reduce traffic jams and promote carpooling. What happened is that, with the boom of electrics, more and more people were benefiting from that rule. And the result was just the opposite of what was intended: the HOV lanes are getting saturated. So Arizona lawmakers have said enough.
Electrics are no longer a minority
In the last ten years, electrics and plug-in hybrids have gone from being a rarity to becoming a fairly common option. Sales have skyrocketed, the charging network has improved, and the idea of driving without polluting has taken hold with the population. But there are still two major brakes: the price and the lack of enough fast chargers. As long as that is not resolved, the transition will remain halfway…
More control across the country
Arizona is not alone in this, San Francisco, New York and other cities are going for more surveillance, automatic cameras and harsher penalties, because, only in 2023, a third of road deaths were due to speed issues.
The decision from Arizona does not come alone, it is part of a huge movement to rethink how traffic is organized. And that sometimes means taking away benefits that no longer make much sense.
And now what?
Many drivers bought their electric car partly for being able to use the HOV lane. In cities like Phoenix, where traffic jams are the daily bread, that meant an important time saving of at least half an hour… That is why this change is going to hurt. Because it forces you to look for alternatives: carpool, use public transport or put up with more time on the road.
Surviving the end of the HOV lane
The new rule does not have to be a drama for electric car drivers, relax, there are still several simple ways to adapt and continue enjoying the benefits of fast mobility. One of them is carpooling: share your trip with coworkers, friends or neighbors! It is easy and less boring, don’t you think?
Another option is to plan trips better, avoiding peak hours, but we know that is very complicated, we know…
You should know there are mobility apps that offer solutions to organize shared trips. In the end, the goal is the same: fewer cars, more efficiency and more sustainable mobility.
A fair measure or a step back?
The debate is on, as always. Some believe that taking away this benefit is turning their back on those who bet on clean energy. Others think it was about time to recover the original sense of the HOV lane. The truth is that, with so many electrics on the road, keeping the exemption was no longer viable.
The big question now is what Congress will do. If it decides to extend the exception or if this change in Arizona is just the beginning of a new stage. One in which electric cars will no longer have exclusive advantages and will have to live under the same rules as the rest.