My apologies as it was late and I've been successfully working on my SR+ Model 3. Per suggestions, the bold and italics are 'proposed' from the article. Personally I would have preferred to digitize the report but not wanting to cause a copyright fracas, did a hurried report: The February 2020, Consumer Reports, has a map showing excessive EV fees by state, pp. 14. Alabama is listed at 80% excess (i.e., nearly twice as much.) The States listed and their EXCESS tax/fees: 191% - Arizona 185% - Missouri 142% - Texas 132% - Arkansas 130% - Wyoming 112% - Minnesota 100% - Mississippi 80% - Alabama 74% - Oklahoma 61% - North Carolina 48% - Georgia 45% - North Dakota 37% - West Virgina 37% - Washington 36% - Ohio 21% - Idaho <20% - Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire IMHO, carry a copy of this article and give it to any politician soliciting votes and donations with the comment,"Your donation was given to the Dept. of Revenue." BACKGROUND: Proposed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), this excessive tax/fee is equivalent to a 'hippy' tax. Like the old 1960s legislation that sought to ban clothing made out an American flag worn by long haired and bearded, it is aimed at EV owners alone and often passed with State gas tax increases (at least in Alabama.) Source: Rebuild Alabama Act adds new registration fee for EV and hybrid drivers | WHNT.com Whitt isn't pleased with the brand new $200 annual registration fee on EVs, $100 for hybrids, that will start next year. It will then increase by $3 every four years starting in 2023. So let's work the problem backwards from an 18% Alabama gas tax that we had last year: $200 / 18% = $1,111.11 of gasoline not bought by this EV owner $1,111.11 / $2.22 (gas buddy) = 500.5 gallons of regular 16,532 miles in 10 months ~= 19,846 miles projected first year of SR+ Model 3 ownership approximately 20,000 miles / 500 gallons ~= 40 MPG tax equivalent Now I'm retired but even when working, 20k miles per year was common in our Prius. We could afford a mobile lifestyle because the Prius got 52-58 MPG. So what would a 'fair tax' be? wheel count - every wheel costs $25 including trailers $50 motorcycles $100 ordinary cars and pickups $150 dual-wheeled pickups and delivery vans $50 light duty trailers $100 dual-wheeled trailers $150 RVs eliminate or greatly reduce the gas tax, everyone has a farm equipment fuel tax a fuel tax of say 5-9% would increase 'out of State' buyers to fund our roads So how am I dealing with it? Make more miles!! Our EVs cost 1/3 per mile lower than an efficient Prius and closer to 1/5th per mile cheaper than the 'white collar cowboys' driving ego-mobile pickups. You know the ones without a scratch, spec of mud, and perfect chromed tow ball sitting on oversized, knobby tires. If I go from 20k miles per year to 40k miles per year, the tax equivalent becomes 80 MPG. Bob Wilson ps. I test drove my SR+ Model 3 this evening and my repairs worked! I have one kludge to back out but now I can drive 120 miles to Nashville to get the right part and do more Tesla tricks.
Yeah these taxes suck (see list) Wisconsin during the EV surge 2016-2019 Doubled plug in registrations from 3000 to 6000 then stagnated The Oregon and Washington tax increases also have coincided with stagnant EV growth, while having many more plug ins than Wisconsin their “growth “ after a quick start has almost stalled in recent years and the total on road is pathetically small as a percentage of vehicles. How Many EVs Are Registered In Your State? You May Be Surprised Perhaps good reason to take a different approach
Nah just disappointed there are statically Zero plug ins in 35 states and my antique non-plug in hybrid (that no longer has a hybrid battery) is charged plug in fees. My uncle probably had the right idea when faced with higher fees, just don’t pay license, registration and insurance 10+ years. When I go up north I swear half the cars don’t have plates
I feel that same way about trailers.....but I always tell my CFO that even though virtually none are registered hereabouts - I'd be ticketed the first time I left my home towing a non-registered trailer. I've always said that BEV's will have gone "mainstream" when they stop getting one-percenter welfare checks to become economically viable and become targeted for "paying their fair share." Welcome to the bigs!
My father always did that with trailers because he was under the weight above which you need them 99% of the time I on the other hand don’t have his luck I went to the dmv to transfer a plate off my one decrepit car that would retire to the garage and be sold to my good condition car in the garage On my way back from dmv driving less than 2 miles was pulled over for invalid plates on the wrong car, presented both titles and both valid insurance cards and sat a half hour while the guy hemmed and hawed. A single person who has 2 cars and needs to transfer plates and fix my location that day has to visit the dmv before it closes after work, the non-existent cab or public transport, even Uber would be unlikely to make it there without scheduling a half day off work and spending big $$$$ for the privilege Very stupid first world problems
While some states exempt trailers under a certain weight, most states require registration regardless of weight.
^ That's true for my trailer. Actually - I wouldn't mind the free-loaders as much if they would bother to put appropriate lighting and wheel fenders. I'll give the EVangelists credit for one thing. Most of their vehicles are new enough not to be overly dangerous to the motoring public, and 'Robbie the Robot' will have to kill many many more people to catch up with the local talent. Registrations and plates are a handy way to levy local taxes, which I more or less happily pay regardless of a perceived direct benefit. Schools are often the recipients of these tax dollars, and even though I do not have any school aged children I sorta think that society as a whole benefits from our school system - warts and all. One of the reasons that my own beloved home state of Indiana isn't on Bob's 'list of shame' (or shameful list) is that the Ruby Red state government nutted up and enacted a nearly California-sized fuel tax increase (to 28-cents, IIRC) AND they allowed for automatic tax increases of 1 centavo per year for inflation. If petrol REALLY IS going away, and people want to continue to enjoy using roads and bridges - somebody is going to have to pay for it. Since states cannot print their own money, there's going to be continued pressure on them to shake more coins out of the pockets of the rich.....because as William Francis Sutton Jr. probably didn't really say..... "That's where the money is."
