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VA Clean Special Fuel Plate

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Family Hybrid, Jun 19, 2007.

  1. Family Hybrid

    Family Hybrid Junior Member

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    Just got ours in the mail today, despite DMV telling us it would take 4-6 weeks. It says that this version is not exempt from the I95/395 HOV lanes, which is fine since we don't live near there.
     
  2. boulder_bum

    boulder_bum Senior Member

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    Do you mean it IS exempt from using those HOV lanes?

    What does it look like? Have pics?

    Edit: Google image search says it looks like this...
    [​IMG]
     
  3. Family Hybrid

    Family Hybrid Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boulder Bum @ Jun 19 2007, 06:44 PM) [snapback]464928[/snapback]</div>
    Nope. Is NOT. :D The plate you listed is the old plate which is exempt from any HOV lane in VA. The new plate is restricted from I95/395 HOV lanes, but is OK for any other VA HOV.

    The rule from VA DMV

    [​IMG]

    One other interesting thing to note, the rule I linked to above says the HOV exemption ends July 1, 2007. However, the VA legislature extended it for 1 more year.

    The rule as listed by VDOT
     
  4. dishpan

    dishpan New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Family Hybrid @ Jun 19 2007, 08:23 PM) [snapback]464960[/snapback]</div>

    so the new one does work on 66 hov?
    d
     
  5. Family Hybrid

    Family Hybrid Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dishpan @ Jun 21 2007, 11:08 AM) [snapback]465729[/snapback]</div>
    However, they will be permitted to use all other HOV lanes in Virginia during HOV hours, including I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road in Northern Virginia.
     
  6. dishpan

    dishpan New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Family Hybrid @ Jun 21 2007, 02:46 PM) [snapback]465899[/snapback]</div>

    awesome!
    :D

    are there a limited number of these new plates, like in other states? does it matter when you bought your car?
    i wonder why i cant just drive a prius without a special plate, since its obviously a hybrid.
    d
     
  7. INPrius

    INPrius New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dishpan @ Jun 21 2007, 02:50 PM) [snapback]465907[/snapback]</div>

    No limit. As long as it is a hybird.
     
  8. mcbrunnhilde

    mcbrunnhilde Opera singin' Prius nut!

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    California did it a much better way...to qualify for HOV access, the car has to get at least 45 mpg--so only the Prius and Civic hybrid qualified. Keeps hybrid SUVs out of the HOV lanes since their mileage is worse than many conventional cars.
     
  9. paco-shalom

    paco-shalom Veteran Prius Owner

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    I've found that most states with these laws require a special sticker or license plate to take advantage of it.

    When I lived in Maryland I inquired about driving my Prius in the VA HOV lanes (and a couple times I did it anyway on I-66). I was told that since Maryland does not reciprocate for Virginia tagged cars, they won't allow Maryland tagged cars in the HOV lanes.

    In Arizona I had to purchase special tags before I could drive solo in HOV.
     
  10. dishpan

    dishpan New Member

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    why is a hybrid a "clean special fuel" anyway, according to VA? it still uses gasoline. its not like it run on vegetable oil.
     
  11. mcbrunnhilde

    mcbrunnhilde Opera singin' Prius nut!

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    Those were probably existing plates and Virginia decided not to alter them for the hybrids. In California, alternate-fuel vehicles got stickers just like hybrids, but they are silver and not yellow.
     
  12. gforeman

    gforeman New Member

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    Doesn't the use on I-66 end July 1, 2007? Or did they extend it?
     
  13. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dishpan @ Jun 22 2007, 09:35 AM) [snapback]466377[/snapback]</div>
    Because it uses the Atkinson Cycle Engine, and the RPMs are kept up in the higher most efficient range where feul is burned most completely.

    Several of the current hybrid vehicles, vehicles like the Ford Escape and the Toyota Prius, use Atkinson cycle engines in stead of the conventional Otto-cycle. See an animation of the Atkinson Cycle engine again from Matt Keveney's excellent engine animation site. http://www.keveney.com/Atkinson.html

    The Atkinson-cycle engine is up to 10% more efficient than a conventional four-stroke petrol "Otto" engine. The increase in efficiency comes mainly from controlling the so called pumping losses.

    Pumping losses are caused by the way power output from a petrol "Otto" engine is regulated. It is regulated by controlling, or rather constricting airflow to the engine. This constriction of airflow creates partial vacuum (low pressure) in the inlet manifold. Maintaining this "low pressure" in the inlet manifold wastes energy.

    One reason for diesel "Otto"-engines being more effective than the corresponding petrol engines is because there is no pumping loss in a diesel as power is regulated by injecting less fuel into the cylinders and not by choking the airflow to the cylinders.

    The pumping losses in an Atkinson cycle engine are reduced by allowing, in the compression stroke, a small amount of the fuel/air mixture to flow back from the cylinder into the induction system, without being burned, thus reducing the effective displacement of the engine.

    Additionally as the expansion ratio of an Atkinson cycle engine is greater than its compression ratio it takes more heat from the exhaust gas instead of pumping it into the exhaust system, thereby achieving additional efficiency.

    The Atkinson cycle — also called the "five-stroke cycle" (because of the backflow which is really not a cycle) — works like this: intake, backflow (partial expulsion to eliminate pumping losses), compression, expansion, and exhaust.

    The combustion chamber volume is adapted to maintain a constant compression ratio to avoid knock while increasing the expansion ratio to optimize efficiency.
     
  14. mcbrunnhilde

    mcbrunnhilde Opera singin' Prius nut!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(G-Man @ Jun 22 2007, 06:41 PM) [snapback]466686[/snapback]</div>
    I believe it was extended to 2008 sometime in February of this year.
     
  15. skinsfan

    skinsfan New Member

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    How long did it take to get it after you submitted the application? Did you fax it or mail it in? I wonder if I can get mine faxed and approved with 1 week left before they cut off I-66 access this year.