Editorial: Don’t whine, compete

Monday, Aug. 30, 2004 | 8:58 a.m.

A permit to drive a single-occupancy vehicle in highway car-pool lanes would be a godsend in California. That's why the California Legislature is considering the permits -- but only for those who drive hybrid vehicles (partly fueled by nonpolluting electricity) that average 45 miles a gallon and meet near-zero emission standards.

We have previously suggested an incentive here in Nevada for people who drive hybrids, such as a break on their registration fees. Hybrids are coming of age, with power and style to match regular cars. With low emissions and superior mileage, they could be a major solution to air pollution and foreign oil dependency if they catch on. Incentives, at least for a few years, could help kick-start the trend.

Not everyone is in love with incentives, however. Ford Motor Co. Chairman Bill Ford has written a letter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers, opposing the incentive. His reasoning? It would be a "buy Japanese" plan, he says, "intended for almost exclusive use by Toyota Prius drivers."

The Prius and Honda's Insight and Civic hybrids meet the requirements for California's legislation. But Ford, just entering the hybrid market with its Escape SUV, does not yet have a vehicle that would qualify. "What Bill Ford ought to be focusing on is how Ford can make the most fuel efficient vehicles and how Ford can beat the Japanese," California Treasurer Phil Angelides told the Sacramento Bee. We couldn't have said it better.