Hybrid CX Plates?

I saw two hybrid cars with CX license plates tonight on the way home...what is that, clean exhaust??? Have they already issued 9,999 CF plates and now they're moving to CX?

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Originally posted by JustWannaGetHome
[br]I saw two hybrid cars with CX license plates tonight on the way home...what is that, clean exhaust??? Have they already issued 9,999 CF plates and now they're moving to CX?

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I'm with you!! I just saw that myself yesterday morning and started scratching my head. I have a hard time believing that they've already sold over 10,000 of those hybrids in VA. And I'll have an even harder time accepting it if it's true. Because we all know where those "over 10,000" hybrid drivers live...Northern VA!!! I never had an opinion about hybrids in the HOV issues, but now I sit and wonder if maybe there is something to all that?? Hmmmmmmmm...

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Originally posted by mirangus
I'm with you!! I just saw that myself yesterday morning and started scratching my head. I have a hard time believing that they've already sold over 10,000 of those hybrids in VA. And I'll have an even harder time accepting it if it's true. Because we all know where those "over 10,000" hybrid drivers live...Northern VA!!! I never had an opinion about hybrids in the HOV issues, but now I sit and wonder if maybe there is something to all that?? Hmmmmmmmm...

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I'm only gonna say this for the 1000th time....not all CF plates are issued for hybrid vehicles.

Double check your DMV site. Here's the quote:

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You may choose to apply for clean special fuel license plates for a vehicle that utilizes only a clean special fuel. The vehicle must be exclusively powered by clean special fuel. The following types of fuels MAY qualify a vehicle for clean special fuel plates:

Compressed Natural Gas
Electricity
Ethane
Hydrogen
Hythane
Liquefied Natural Gas
Liquefied Petroleum Gas
Methane
Solar
Combination of two types of clean special fuels

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So, as you can see, hybrids aren't the only ones eligible. A CNG vehicle qualifies, and a lot of those are running around.

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Originally posted by Subaru
[br]And to run these fuels, you need special engines.

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Almost any vehicle can be retrofitted to run on CNG, at the very least. It costs maybe $3,000 to $5,000, from what I've heard. I have a colleague who has a minivan that was retrofitted for CNG, and that's certainly not one you'd normally expect to see with a CF plate. But it's perfectly legitimate. From what I gather, Southern California is a bit of a hot market for retrofitting for the same reason you could expect around here--FEDERAL law allows CNG vehicles into HOV lanes.

It's not really a special engine so much as it's a special fuel system. I know there are some alterations to the engine, but it's nothing as drastic as, say, taking out the ordinary engine and putting in a Formula One racing car's engine. So when you think about it--$5,000 to modify an older car to run on CNG, with the guarantee that it will be allowed in the HOV lanes, versus $20,000 for a new hybrid that may not be allowed in the HOV lanes in a few years? Easy to see why people opt for the alternative-fuel vehicles.

(I don't have either a hybrid or an alternative-fuel vehicle. I just find it amusing how some people on this board are so quick to bash any CF-tagged vehicle as either a hybrid or as belonging to someone who got the tag illegally.)