One thing that I didn't know prior to moving to California is that if your car meets certain specifications, it gets a sticker that allows you to drive in diamo

One thing that I didn't know prior to moving to California is that if your car meets certain specifications, it gets a sticker that allows you to drive in diamond lanes (carpool lanes), regardless of the number of passengers. I imagine that this, combined with foreign brands' early investment in hybrids, is a factor in the popularity of foreign brands in California, at least.