California's bad news for electric car drivers could come in September.

One of the most appreciated road benefits for electric and hybrid car drivers in California is expected to end at the end of September. The measure is due to the elimination of the "clean air vehicle" decals , which allowed drivers to drive in high-occupancy lanes without passengers .

According to the Los Angeles Times , the state's Clean Air Vehicle Decal program is expected to end on September 30 if Congress does not extend its term.

Liane Randolph , chair of the California Air Resources Board, said the successful green vehicle incentive program could end due to federal inaction . Extending the measure requires congressional approval and President Trump's signature.

Bill Magavern , policy director for the Clean Air Coalition, was pessimistic about the program's future: "I really don't see him (Donald Trump) making a special effort for this," he added.

Clean Air Electric Vehicle Stickers are a key incentive to encourage the adoption of clean energy in the United States, with a special focus on California. The program seeks to promote the purchase of electrified vehicles, both fully electric and hybrid , to reduce the carbon footprint of the vehicle fleet.

Federal legislation authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow solo drivers in zero- or low-emission vehicles to use carpool or high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the goal is to promote the purchase of alternative-fuel vehicles to meet international environmental goals, such as reducing fossil fuel consumption and reducing traffic and polluting emissions from congested roads .

Access to the high-occupancy vehicle lane through the Clean Air Vehicle Program was one of the most compelling incentives for drivers considering an electric car, Alexia Martineau, senior policy manager at Plug in America, told the Los Angeles Times .

In 2023 alone, California registered 1.3 million registrations for light-duty electric vehicles , accounting for about 20% of new vehicle sales in the state, Martineau added.

Greg Wallis, R-Bermuda Dunes, introduced Assembly Bill 2678 , which seeks to extend the sticker program until January 1, 2027 , the Los Angeles Times reported.

The initiative was introduced in 2024 and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, but it has not yet received federal approval, rendering it invalid.

“Stopping this program means that, starting October 1, 2025, CAV decals will no longer be valid in California and everywhere else in the United States ,” the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) said in a statement .

Starting in October, all vehicles, including electrified ones, must comply with the occupancy limit to use carpool lanes and pay the applicable tolls, or face a fine .

Although the program's possible closure has already been announced, California drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles can still apply for a decal by August 29 , but it will no longer be valid on October 2, 2025, the DMV said.

California's goal by 2035 is for all new passenger vehicles sold in the state to be zero-emission, according to the Los Angeles Times .