Traffic moves along a freeway in Los Angeles. REUTERS/Mike Blake
A two-month grace period for electric vehicle drivers is coming to an end after a new state law took away HOV privileges on Oct. 1.
The Clean Air Vehicle Decals program, which lasted nearly 24 years in the state, allowed drivers with the colorful key-shaped sticker a pass to cruise in HOV lanes regardless of occupancy.
The program was set to expire on Sept. 30, despite California requesting an extension until January 2027. A failed federal extension under the Trump administration only solidified the date.
The California Air Resources Board, a state agency that focuses on air pollution, said this administration is the first to break years of federal extensions for the program despite its proven success.
“The program has been a highly successful and cost-effective way to accelerate clean vehicle uptake and raise consumer awareness of their benefits,” CARB said.
The failed extension was not exactly a surprise. In July 2025, when H.R. 1 (commonly known as “the One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) was signed into law, it promptly ended an initiative that gave $7,500 tax credits for new EV purchases.
Further, California has seen the brunt of EV-incentive cuts during the Trump administration. In June, President Donald Trump signed three resolutions that would halt the advancement of a key California initiative to phase out diesel engines and gas-powered cars by 2035.
Eleven states adopted the initiative.
“We officially rescue the U.S. auto industry from destruction by terminating California’s electric vehicle mandate,” Trump said, per CNBC. “And they’re never coming back.”
Shortly after, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California would sue the Trump administration.
“Trump’s all-out assault on California continues — and this time he’s destroying our clean air and America’s global competitiveness in the process,” Newsom said.
The CAVD program is the latest in clean-air initiative cuts, but whether cuts will continue is in question. For now, more than a million drivers can no longer reap the carpool lane benefits during rush hour.
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