Proposed federal yearly fee for Hybrids

[sclinder520]

If your wearing out the roads and skipping out on the funding for their repair by skipping the gas station - well party is over .... And I think it is fair proposision ....

What is the Highway Trust Fund, and how is it financed? | Tax Policy Center

No Free Rides
well maybe one


Cheers

The should also up the fees on heavy commercial trucks because they cause the majority of damage to the roads.

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[irasAutoTake]

Debating ‘fairness’ is interesting but unhelpful. The old “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” argument. There is a difference in opinion on not only who should pay (me, you, your neighbor, state or federal governments), but how (and how much) they should pay.

Gasoline taxes are a usage fee (drive more/pay more) but people hate them, and don’t differentiate among vehicles that cause more/less road wear for the same amount of fuel burned or between travel on crowded/uncrowded roads. A pay-by-the-mile-driven model seems more equitable but difficult to implement (new tolls/electronic motoring of vehicles – Big Brother anyone?) and no incentive to drive a more fuel-efficient ICE vehicle.

Or – forgo the whole user-pay principle and get Highway Trust Fund monies from general revenues. Let’s see, what additional federal/state programs should be cut to pay for highway/roadway work? Or limit road maintenance spending to revenue already collected with the $0.184 gal gasoline/$$0.244 gal diesel taxes in place.

Nobody wants to pay, big surprise. People really get agitated/obsessed about higher gasoline prices, and it’s still the case that one of the best ways to commit political suicide is to promote higher gasoline taxes. Everyone has their own opinion, you have yours, I have mine, if a genie granted me one energy-related dictatorial power I’d double the federal gas tax overnight – which STILL wouldn’t keep up with inflation.

What is the Highway Trust Fund, and how is it financed? | Tax Policy Center

The tax rates on motor fuels have not changed since 1993 and thus have failed to keep pace with inflation. If tax rates had been indexed for inflation since 1993, the current tax on gasoline would be about 37 cents per gallon and the tax on diesel fuel would be about 49 cents per gallon. Although the current taxes on motor fuels (except for a residual tax of 4.3 cents per gallon) are set to expire at the end of September 2028, Congress has routinely extended the taxes in the past.

The best thing I've seen so far: "Nobody wants to pay, big surprise."

But it's got to be paid, right? So how about we just find another source of income... how about we take it from Social Security and Medicare??

I repeat: "Nobody wants to pay, big surprise."

Drive what you want, ICE, Hybrid or EV. I drive the hybrid because I feel like I'm maximizing my use of our exhaustible global resources in a way I can, and, in some way, lightening my carbon load while we collectively try to ease our indelible imprint on our planet.

"Debating ‘fairness’ is interesting but unhelpful."

 

[ychuck46]

I love how politicians love to portray these special taxes as being devoted to the purpose they are being in place to supposedly fix, in this case the roads (this is true for both the state and Federal politicians putting them in place). They are not. All these inflows get put into the General fund and are spent on whatever the government needs to spend it on at that point. There isn't a separate "Highway Fund" that the monies are put into. Just another money grab to allow those same politicians to pay for their special interest purposes.

 

[zen_]

They should tax by the mile, I am retired, and drive 3 to 4K a year.

The fairest way to tax road use would be by road use (actual miles), with a sliding scale for vehicle weight.

Never going to happen though for privacy reasons, even though everyone with a smart phone in their pocket has 100% signed away their privacy, and is being persistently tracked by geolocation, searches, cookies, and advertising IDs.

 

[Maverick County XL]

I see several news outlets stating that the new proposed budget passed by the house includes " a provision for the Federal Highway Administration to impose a $250 annual fee on all-electric vehicles and a $100 yearly fee for hybrid vehicles. "
Any idea how that would work? When I register here in washington, I thought all of the fees I pay are determined by and go to the state. No federal portion that I know about. Are there any current federal fees we all are paying when we register a car? Our legislature just upped the fee for the "privilege" of owning a hybrid. I'm guessing a federal fee would be added to whatever the state wants to squeeze out of us?

That is complete BS — the road money needs to come from the owners that use the roads in proportion to their use. Ever hear of tolls? How about an excise tax linked to annual mileage? Depending excessively on gas taxes is a losing strategy.

 

[Pigeonman]

I drive two hybrid vehicles not only to save on gasoline but more importantly to cut down on auto emissions. My extreme worry is the global climate change taking part. We have practiced many ecological methods in our home for many years. I don't think we should be taxed for our dedication to the environment. There are many other ways of funding our roads and infrastructure. Could this proposal be a disguise for using more oil for gas guzzling cars and trucks thus discouraging conservation

 

[riparian]

An $0.184 per gallon tax would be the equivalent of 543 gallons at $100 per year. 543 gallons at 40 mpg is 21,739 miles. According to the Federal Highway Administration, the average annual miles driven per passenger car is 13,596 miles (2022 data). Even 30 mpg would be over that average.

Another way to look at it:

A Maverick Ecoboost driven 10,000 miles a year at the EPA estimated 26 mpg combined would use about 385 gallons and at $.184/gal would pay about $71 federal gas tax.

A Maverick Hybrid driven 10,000 miles a year at the EPA estimated 37 mpg combined would use about 270 gallons and pay about $50 federal gas tax plus $100 = $150 total.

If the real intent is to equalize the tax burden for road use, their aim is pretty bad. Examining our federal government's math never leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling.

As MavStangVa pointed out our state of Virginia charges a high-efficiency vehicle surcharge prorated according to the EPA estimated combined mpg compared to a baseline mpg. Like everyone else, I'm not happy about any added fees, but that seems like a more reasonable approach. The EPA mileage figure is easily retrievable by VIN, and a proration formula could be pretty simple.

 

[RR - All the way]

I believe you will see a pattern with them high gas tax states .... just saying

Cheers

I guess the pattern to which you refer is much higher average annual income?? Or higher educational levels? or better medical facilities? or, etc.????? P.S. It is "those" high gas tax states, not "them high price states"......

 

[The Real Maverick]

So do they tax based on tread life or a flat tax per tire? That is just as bad as a flat tax per vehicle. If they do it based on tread life the manufacturers will REDUCE the tread depth to sell tires at lower tax or just reduce the warranty period which is fine with me. Never had one covered under warranty ever. Using your method a 30k tire say is $30 tax at 0.001/mile just for calculations. Soa 80k tire is $80/tire. that is 320 more per set. And guess what? You hit a pot hole and blow it out in a year you get to pay the tax again on a new one. Or do you propose a new bloated agency to administer tire road use taxes? There are already federal excise taxes on tires for road use. So a tax added to another tax?

Go back and read this thread. You skipped a bunch. Your answers are contained within.

 

[The Real Maverick]

Where I live we already pay our registration/tags based on vehicle size, weight, classification. The issue is going to be the method used to track miles driven. GPS transponder data and all of that they have been floating for the tax by mile schemes in the states are a serious privacy issue and so much more. I would rather pay the flat fee than to open that can of worms.

Tax the tires. Type of fuel or lack of fuel is out of the equation. Those who drive more, pay more. No GPS, tracking, or reporting required. Automatically charged at the time you buy tires. Rolled into the price when you buy a new vehicle.

Tires are already coded for "average" tread life. We could start doing this tomorrow with little effort.

Instead of gas tax. Not on top of it.

 

[Sykotyk]

Tax the tires. Type of fuel or lack of fuel is out of the equation. Those who drive more, pay more. No GPS, tracking, or reporting required. Automatically charged at the time you buy tires. Rolled into the price when you buy a new vehicle.

Tires are already coded for "average" tread life. We could start doing this tomorrow with little effort.

Instead of gas tax. Not on top of it.

Tire retreading would become a huge business. Already is for commercial trucks, but for cars it would take off.

 

[Maverick Man]

They say "go electric" or hybrid and we're "doing our part", but then we do get punished a bit. And don't get me started about a special "RTA tax" here in Pierce County, and hour from Seattle. Because we have a one bus show up a couple of times a day, we pay this special tax when we get our tags, around $200 for my Maverick, in addition to the $75 for using less gas in a hybrid.

 

[Prickly Pear]

Tax the tires. Type of fuel or lack of fuel is out of the equation. Those who drive more, pay more. No GPS, tracking, or reporting required. Automatically charged at the time you buy tires. Rolled into the price when you buy a new vehicle.

Tires are already coded for "average" tread life. We could start doing this tomorrow with little effort.

Instead of gas tax. Not on top of it.

Another good thing about taxing tires is wear and tear on our roads is a function of both miles driven AND weight of the vehicle, so heavier vehicles driven similar miles should go through tires faster.
Speaking of tires and road damage, they should tax studded tires at a higher rate - those things eat pavement. .

 

[Deleted member 5597]

Or this for a real "Free Ride"

One of my favorite “feel good” songs along with “Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo” by Rick Derringer.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Make ALL roads and streets toll roads via a tracker. The second you leave your driveway or parking lot you pay by the mile. Now to cover the overhead, collections, devices instead of $100 per year it will be, and we are eliminating the penny so round up to the nearest 5 cent amount, at 0.001/mile you will pay $100 per 1000 miles. Sound good?

Sounds good if red light camera's take pic of vehicles plates and check to see if vehicles communication is working and fine is auto drafted on required account IF ITS NOT WORKING. Also milage fees drafted from that account periodically for miles driven. HEY Dollar conversion to BITCOIN would allow transactions to 1/100 of a penny and SAVE ROUNDUP PENALTY!

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