Ignoring lobbying efforts from Ford chairman Bill Ford among others, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed AB2628 today—the bill allowing single-occupant hybrids meeting certain performance thresholds to use the High Occupancy Vehicle (Carpool lane) on California highways. (Earlier post.)

The bill restricts such access to hybrids with an average fuel efficiency of 45 mpg or more and meeting near-zero-emission standards. Only the Toyota and the Honda hybrids currently qualify; Ford’s Escape hybrid does not. As a result, Bill Ford blasted the proposal as a “buy Japanese bill” and a “special-interest measure ... intended for almost exclusive use by Toyota Prius drivers.”