HONOLULU (KHON2) — Electric vehicle drivers have a new rule to follow beginning in October, as their privilege of single-riders in HOV lanes is coming to an end.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is alerting EV drivers that beginning Oct. 1, all vehicles must have two or more occupants in order to use the carpool lane.
A 2005 federal code allowed states to exempt EVs from carpool lane occupancy requirements, but the code had a 20-year lifespan, meaning it expires in 2025.
Driving in an HOV lane comes with a hefty fee, with the ticket price being in the hundreds of dollars. The fine may also increase for each subsequent offense.
Should the federal government extend the code, Hawaiʻi EVs will be further permitted to use HOV lanes.