No Clean Special Fuel Tags For Rx400h In Virginia

[PCW]

I was informed via letter that the State of Virginia has declined to issue a Clean Special Fuel tag for my new RX400h. I live in Northern Virginia and commute into the Washington, DC area everyday. This tag would permit me to use the HOV lanes of our highways without a carpool. This was one of the reasons why I decided to purchase this hybrid. The DMV told me that Lexus did not have this car certified with the VA Dept. of Environmental Quality as a super ultra-low emissions vehicle. Opps! Yesterday I received a call from Lexus Corporate thanking me for my purchase (never had that happen with the previous Lexus' I had purchased) and the nice lady asked if I had any issues. I nicely told her my story with the DMV and she asured me that the RX400h did meet that standard. I told her that it would be nice if Lexus Corporate contacted the State of Virginia to get that worked out. She said that someone will call me back in a few days about it.

Has anyone else had this problem in any other State that has this tag available for the RX400h?

[speedyg]

California has a hybrid-allowing HOV tag pending approval by the federal government but unfortunately it doesn't seem like the RX400h would qualify even if the legislation gets approved. Vehicles would need to get 45mpg+ to quality.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/03-04/bill/a..._chaptered.html

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm