Access to the carpool lane in California with only a single occupant has proven to be one of the more effective incentives to get the state’s drivers to buy electric cars.
The first year and a half of Chevy Volt range-extended electric cars didn’t qualify, but Volt sales in California surged once buyers could add the crucial green sticker to their Volts.
Now, it appears that the new 2016 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid will get access to California’s HOV lanes as well.
DON’T MISS: 2016 Chevrolet Volt Priced From $33,995, Or $1,175 Lower Than 2015 Volt
It would only stand to reason that the all-new Volt would continue to qualify for the permit, which requires a higher level of emissions certification than some gasoline cars achieve.
But the question was raised by a photo tweeted by a Florida resident who goes by “Bret+” under the Twitter handle of Schmoofy.
2016 Chevrolet Volt
In it, a 2016 Volt is shown on display at Disney World’s new Test Track exhibit, sponsored by General Motors.
The Volt, according to the tweet, was used in the filming of “Tomorrowland,” a “sci-fi adventure” that debuts May 22nd.
ALSO SEE: 2016 Chevy Volt: Bigger Battery, More Motor Power, New Range Extender Engine Details
Bret+ tweeted four photos of the display altogether, including the descriptive text for the car and the film.
But it’s the front bumper of the silver 2016 Volt that caught the eye of frequent tipster Brian Henderson.
2016 Chevrolet Volt
He noted that it carries the green sticker denoting single-occupant access to California’s High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, aka “the carpool lane.”
Any Californian who’s coped with crippling freeway traffic either in the San Francisco Bay Area or anywhere south of, say, Ventura will attest to the value of that little sticker.
MORE: Why Can’t Other Plug-In Hybrids Copy Chevy Volt’s All-Electric Running?
Chevy would be very unlikely to supply a car with that sticker unless it knew the car would qualify, given that its image will live on film for years to come.
We’ve reached out to Chevrolet to ask whether the new Volt is officially certified for the sticker, since it doesn’t yet appear on the state’s list of approved vehicles.
2016 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid – details of Voltec drivetrain from SAE presentations, Feb 2015
Michelle Malcho of Chevrolet Communications confirmed that in fact the 2016 Volt will qualify.
Meanwhile, Californian buyers face a different challenge: The green-sticker supply is getting sparse (there’s a maximum number authorized), and it’s unclear whether more will be authorized.
[hat tip: Brian Henderson]
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