Hybrid licencing fee?

[TonyS]

I kinda thing the hybrids should not be saddled with an extra fee. After all, every bit of energy they use to move on the roads is supplied from fuel put into the gas tank.
They just happen to be extra frugal in their use of fuel, and actually have been surpassed in their frugality by some models of Toyota and Honda, and perhaps some Chevrolet labeled Korean imports.

So you lead the way(sort of) in ecological use of petroleum fuel, and get popped in the chops for doing so with an extra fee above and beyond the road use taxes already paid.

I think some legislator got a bug somewhere, and wrote a bill that was discriminatory towards fuel efficient vehicles.
Do they also have an extra fee for the vehicles that get 42mpg or more on the EPA tests? If not, there is an opening for a lawyer to claim discrimination... great.

In GA, if you are elderly, the annual tag fee is decreased if you can attest to driving less than XXk miles annually. The will accept a statement of the odometer reading to reduce the fee. In the past, the annual emissions test required the odometer reading at time of testing. So, they know already how many miles you drive if you are required to get the vehicle tested. I remember CA SMOG testing as requiring odometer readings, and of course, when you transfer title, the odometer is also recorded. If they don't know, all the have to do is require odo readings for registration renewals.

I don't disagree with your statement on MPG. If the purpose of the supplemental registration fee is to replace lost revenue from gas taxes (that pay for maintenance and building of roads and bridges) then rather than gas/electric maybe it should be based on MPG rating. I love the gas mileage I'm getting with my Hybrid Maverick - but I could have gotten the same mileage from a decent number compact and subcompact fuel efficient ICE cars.

but all said it's $50 and I'm saving WAY MORE than $50 a year on fuel. And quick back of the napkin calculations show at $50 registration fee I'm still saving $$ on gasoline taxes as well. Indiana is about 23.5 cents a gallon. I'm paying - because I'm purchasing far less gas - about $117 less a year in State Gasoline taxes.

But I'm still driving on the same roads just as much. So I'm fine with paying my share. As others have mentioned, repairs needed to our vehicles because of bad roads would be more expensive than the taxes -however collected - would cost.

But it might well be a more logical idea to do the surcharge based on MPG - or eMPG for electric vehicles.

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[BigShoots920]

Yeah it's not that they don't want you to save the planet but still want you to pay the road tax. I'm guessing states on the list charging the yearly fees are the states that are higher on gas tax. Wisconsin is higher on the gas tax because there aren't any toll roads in the state so it's just kind of a trade off.

 

[NJBob]

I think you can argue that EVs are actually worse on the roads than an ice vehicle. They typically weigh more and that's what damages roads.

True they weigh considered more another unaccounted for cost.

 

[NJBob]

Definitely a possibility for dedicated EV chargers on the road. But what about home chargers / work chargers? I am 100% solar powered and would seriously resent them putting a meter on my array to charge me road tax.

You COULD. Not sure I want to be around when that gets announced though Easiest thing is to just report your mileage on your registration form. With a physical check if / when you sell the vehicle to keep it honest. But that still leaves the question of which state gets the revenue.

Don't think it will be an issue on home chargers. Will be another cost. Just because you have solar does not exempt you from road tax. I can see it happening.

 

[rlhdweman]

I think you can argue that EVs are actually worse on the roads than an ice vehicle. They typically weigh more and that's what damages roads.

Only if you are driving a Hummer EV or a Rivian, these small vehicles don't cause road damage, its the 80,000 semis & fully loaded dump trucks. I checked in Wisconsin there is a $75 extra for hybrids & $100 for EVs. State warrants this because they claim they are losing gas tax, but they don't take in to account how many people are still driving & buying full size V8 powered 4wheel drive trucks, & those people pay double the tax us Maverick drivers do. Where I live those trucks outnumber everything else on the road, many are still some rust bucket relics from the 90's wheezing down the road.

 

[Spook]

To complicate things, here in KY, if your truck is for personal use, it can use car plates (not tags - tags have a string on them to hang on things for sale). If your truck is for business, you must buy truck plates. Also, if your truck is used in farming, you can get Farm plates, which I assume is cheaper than regular ones. Taxes on all vehicles are like property taxes each year per the Blue Book value except for the first year of ownership because of paying the sales tax on the vehicle. The bureaucrats really have things complicated for a bunch of rednecks like me.

 

[NJBob]

Does sound complicated. In NJ we pay 6.625 sales tax but thats it. Give them time though. I pray more in registration though because it's a pickup truck. Like 80 a year.

 

[Jatrax]

Don't think it will be an issue on home chargers. Will be another cost. Just because you have solar does not exempt you from road tax. I can see it happening.

Agree, and I expect to pay my share of road maintenance. How they fairly charge everybody is the hard part. And I honestly don't see a good answer.

 

[NJBob]

To complicate things, here in KY, if your truck is for personal use, it can use car plates (not tags - tags have a string on them to hang on things for sale). If your truck is for business, you must buy truck plates. Also, if your truck is used in farming, you can get Farm plates, which I assume is cheaper than regular ones. Taxes on all vehicles are like property taxes each year per the Blue Book value except for the first year of ownership because of paying the sales tax on the vehicle. The bureaucrats really have things complicated for a bunch of rednecks like me.

Yeah that's how states with low property or sales tax get their piece of the pie. Very complicated.

 

[Hartzco]

My son bought a 2021 Mach E GT in Jan. and he had to pay a $150 EV fee to license it in Indiana. I don't know yet if they have a fee for hybrids.

No hybrid fee in Indiana.

 

[PaulHeil]

I thought that was the case in Ohio, but the DMV didn’t catch it when I switched my registration from the escape to the maverick.

Same for me. We'll see next year.

 

[Don806]

I looked at title and registration on daughters accord and the maverick neither mention hybrid, but next summer I guess I’ll find out when tags are due. At $200 for full EV, hybrid should be $50 max. Our county has $15 piggyback tax for roads already

 

[GPSMan]

Do away with fuel tax all together.
Just add more sales tax at the time of purchase. Tax based on weight. Pay it all up front. One and done. Easy peasy. One rule for all 50 states. Road moneys come from Feds.

Won't matter how the vehicle is propelled.

 

[GPSMan]

Before you say it's not fair, it is and there is precedent.

Do you get taxed on how many books you check out from the library? Or how many times you call the Fire Department? Or how many times or even if you go to public school or community college?

Nope. There are flat fees for many, many things whether you use them heavily, lightly, or not at all.

 

[JimParker256]

They want to install a mileage tracker in your vehicle so they can tax you to the fullest. Complete invasion of privacy. Complete government overreach.

Could you provide a citation or reference so I can review the documentation, please? I haven't seen anything like this at either the federal or at state level (Texas). The closest thing I've seen to this is "Flo" from Progressive urging us to plug in their monitor so that the insurance company can observe how we drive. (Um, no thanks, Flo...)

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