I am planning on purchasing a PiP in the next few months in Oregon, but I will be moving to LA in one year. Will there be any potential obstacles in obtaining the green sticker for HOV access?
Unlikely, as there are 40,000 stickers to go around and nowhere near the vehicle production of eligible cars (PIP and 2012 Volt mainly) to use them up. BUT: From CA DMV: Use Tax: Collected at the same rate as your California city of residence sales tax. Legislation requires payment of use tax on a vehicle purchased outside California and brought into California within 365 days of the purchase date. Be careful!
Biggest obstacles may be that they are limited to an issue of 40,000 decals. In a year they might be all be gone. Don't plan on them increasing that number.
There's only the PIP and the new Volt that are eligible right now, and there's no way that there are 40,000 of them coming to California within a year (I think PIP allocation for all of US is 15,000). What other mass-produced cars are becoming available for these stickers?
correct me if i'm wrong. But I thought los angeles stop doing the HOV access for hybrids? Or is it now exclusive to electric vehicles?
Nope we still have it. White decals for alternative fuel (Leaf, Civic Natural Gas, Tesla, etc.). Green decals for plug-ins (Prius Plug-In, 2012 Volt with CA package). I think you might be referring to an upcoming project to convert the HOV lanes for 2 of our busiest freeway into toll lanes. Those yes - our HOV decals will be useless. But there's still other HOV lanes besides those two that we will still be able to use.
Plug-in Hybrid Cars (a.k.a. Plugin Hybrid Vehicles) | Hybrid Cars There's a few on the way in 2012, but you are correct that majority of public interest will be for the PIP and Volt. We'll see how the Ford C-Max Energi fares after price/projected 2012 production numbers are released.
The Yellow Decal program was discontinued 07/01/2011. There is a new Green Decal program that started 01/01/2012 for selected vehicles that meet a more stringent emission level using advanced technology.
You may not have the same CARB protection. As I understand it, you must buy and register the car to have the low emission long term warranty of 15 yrs / 150,000 miles. I am assuming this is still the same for the Pips as well.......?:cheer2:
Oregon is a CARB state, so an Oregon Prius should still have the 10 year/150,000 mile hybrid system warranty. HowStuffWorks "CARB"
Thanks for all your replies. Here's an update. I have talked to the California DMV who said that I just need to make sure that the PiP I buy in Oregon must have a certain engine family number. I called Toyota, and this seems like a unique and confusing issue because people at Toyota haven't encountered this often, and they said that all PiPs made for the US have the same engine family number. The Oregon dealerships have said that they are a CARB state.
