Green Parking Permits Available, Not for All Efficient Cars

Starting Friday, certain fuel efficient vehicles can get a permit to park for free in much of downtown Nashville.

Chris Chamberlain works for an e-commerce business and has three cars he’d like to register, which costs $10.

CHAMBERLAIN: “Alright, we can look it up by vehicle or type.”

On the EPA’s Website, a car has to score high in terms of efficiency and emissions. Chamberlain enters the information for his hybrid Toyota Camry. It qualifies. His little three-cylinder Smart Car, however, does not.

REPORTER: “Were you surprised that the Smart Car didn’t qualify?”

CHAMBERLAIN: “I was, because our third car in the family is an SUV, and it did qualify.”

It’s a Lexus hybrid.

The Davidson County Clerk has printed up 2,000 of the green parking permits, which are good for one year. Ironically, they can’t be used at the meters outside the clerk’s office on 2nd Avenue.

Even with a green parking permit, vehicles can only stay as long as the maximum time allowed by the meter.

A list of the eligible cars is here.

See a map of where green parking permits are allowed.