Georgia still charges fees for expired access to EV carpool lanes – Jalopnik

Some EV drivers in Georgia are complaining that they are still being charged for special access to rideshare lanes, even though such access is no longer allowed, reports 11Alive. Previously, drivers who purchased an alternative fuel vehicle license plate for their qualified vehicle, typically a pure EV or a plug-in hybrid, were allowed to use the carpool lanes even if there was only one person in the vehicle. This program ended at the end of September, yet the state still charges the same price for this plate despite not offering the previous benefit.

The more restrictive rules for carpool lanes come not from the state, but from the federal government. The end of the EV tax credit is the best-known incentive that expired in September, but a lesser-known one was that low-emission and energy-efficient single-occupant vehicles have been allowed to use HOV lanes since 2005, according to the Ministry of Energy. Thirteen states, including Georgia, have taken advantage of this provision. The state allowed eligible cars, for an additional fee, to obtain alternative fuel license plates that clearly indicated they were legal in the HOV lane, even with only one occupant. While the EV tax credit was a victim of the Trump administration, the most recent law allowing these vehicles to use carpool lanes, the FAST Act of 2015, only allowed it until September of this year. Congress had yet to approve an extension to continue this benefit, but did not, causing it to expire.

“The AFV plate remains available as an optional specialty license plate for Georgia drivers. We have provided guidance to local county license offices, and customers who no longer wish to use the AFV plate can go to their local license plate office to exchange it for a standard license plate at no charge.”
The spokesperson also pointed to press releases from GDOT and the State Road and Tollway Authority about the expiring benefits.

Indeed, the Georgia Department of Revenue lists many specialty license plates his website which charge the same $35 annual special tag fee as the alternative fuel vehicle license plate. However, many people paid the premium to gain access to single-occupant carpool lanes, not to brag to the world that they are driving an alternative fuel vehicle, which is now the only purpose the license plate serves. Although the state issued press releases about motorists no longer being allowed to use carpool lanes, it did not stop charging for the benefit, filling state coffers with an additional $212,000 since its expiration and continuing to do so. It’s the same kind of scam Texas pulled when it ended auto inspections and then immediately charged an “inspection program replacement fee” to continue collecting money for not providing services. While it is good that Georgia is allowing current license plate holders of alternative fuel vehicles to exchange them for standard license plates for free and avoid paying extra in the future, this does not help anyone who has already paid the extra fee as refunds are not possible.