Plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle drivers in 14 states — including New York, California, and Texas — stand to lose a key commuting benefit at the end of September, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

What's happening?

Nearly two decades ago, New York and California were among the first states to roll out versions of the perk, allowing EV and hybrid vehicle drivers to use carpool lanes.

High-occupancy vehicle lanes were introduced in the United States in the 1970s, with the purpose of reducing congestion and cutting down on pollution by encouraging carpools.

In that respect, the extension of HOV lane benefits to EVs and hybrids made sense — they too reduce pollution, and carpool lane access became an attractive perk to commuters.

Ultimately, over a dozen states implemented federally authorized carpool lane incentives, which were carried forward through 2025 by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) of 2015.

Drivers in states like New York and California have started to receive letters from state agencies informing them that the perk will end in September.

"The Clean Pass program enabled by federal legislative authorization is currently set to expire on September 30, 2025," one read in part. "As Congress and the President have not reauthorized this program, Clean Pass will end on September 30th."

California Clean Air Board chair Liane Randolph lamented the looming loss of what she called a "smart, cost-effective incentive" that encouraged adoption of EVs and hybrids.

"Thanks to the federal government's failure to act, this successful program is coming to an end," Randolph said.

Why is the end of the carpool perk a problem?

As the Times observed, HOV lane passes incentivized drivers to drive low-emissions vehicles, a particularly large draw in car-centric Southern California.

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In June, UC Davis surveyed EV drivers, 30% of whom said incentives like California's Clean Air Vehicle Decal program were part of their decision to make the switch.

"We're still at a very fragile point in the transition to all vehicles being electric. Only 8% of the vehicles on the road are electric, and that's not enough for you to reach the point where the vehicles are a social norm," assistant director Scott Hardman told the Times.

CBS News covered the imminent end of the program in New York State, pointing out that the HOV lane pass shortened commute times for all drivers by reducing congestion. The outlet also predicted worsening traffic on the crowded Long Island Expressway as a result.

AAA spokesperson Robert Sinclair told CBS that the change to traffic patterns would necessarily "hurt a lot of people" by exacerbating rush hour gridlock, and EV driver Peter Vanzandt told the outlet his Clean Pass halved the length of his daily commute to Manhattan.

"Part of the reason why I bought the car was for that perk, so I am not so happy," Vanzandt said.

His comment underscores the broader net harm presented by the end of the program — in addition to negatively impacting traffic patterns, the small, low-cost perk enticed drivers to make the switch to an EV, reducing pollution at scale.

Coupled with the anticipated loss of federal EV credit incentives, the end of carpool access presents another setback in ending America's reliance on dirty fuels.

What's being done about it?

A Change.org petition is calling on Congress to save the perk before it ends in September.

However, it's not all bad news for aspiring EV drivers, as access to federal credits has yet to end.

On August 8, CNBC reported that drivers are "racing to buy" EVs, adding that Q3 could mark a "record for EV sales" in the United States.

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