Provision for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Exemption

The Georgia Department of Revenue and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are authorized to develop a list of HEV models that qualify for an HOV lane exemption regardless of the number of passengers, pending federal legislative or regulatory approval. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in May 2007, and a final rule is pending. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) must determine whether allowing the qualifying HEVs to travel in HOV lanes would degrade the performance of the lanes. (Reference Georgia Code 32-9-4)