Will This Proposed Law Affect Buyers Looking For Ultimate Gas Mileage?

[Hog]

Heard about this yesterday, it comes up often. What effect do you think it would have on those looking to buy a Elio because of the 84 mpg possibility?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/01/oregon-gas-mileage-tax/2608067/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/01/oregon-gas-mileage-tax/2608067/
Obviously this would affect those with longer commutes looking for an econocar (of any type), as well as those who need to drive 30 miles to the nearest shopping center/medical center etc.

 

[wizard of ahs]

Nice 3 year old article

 

[Rob Croson]

Old but interesting. It's only a matter of time before governments adopt their laws to extract money from alternative fuel and high mileage vehicles. Governments make a LOT of money on gas taxes.They're not going to let that revenue stream disappear without a fight.


What other options do states have for taxing highly efficient vehicles?
At least 27 states tax alternative fuels used in vehicles, such as natural gas, electricity or ethanol, according to NCSL. Virginia this year became the 10th state to impose a fee on owners of alternative fuel vehicles. Virginia's new fee also applies to hybrid vehicles.

 

[Hog]

Proposed again yesterday - like I said, coming up in many states more frequently now - CBO recommendation (nationwide) yesterday - I was just looking for an example to elucidate the point. With the advent of lower gas prices the feds are losing money , the national gas tax is around 18%. This is a proposed way to increase that, supposedly to go to 'infrastructure', although I thought tolls went to that.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/03/cbo_charge_drivers_by_the_mile.htmlhttp://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/03/cbo_charge_drivers_by_the_mile.html

 

[bunchathrees]

Minimal effect. The TCO will still be much less with an Elio than with any other reasonable commuter. Mileage taxes, if taken to an extreme, could have a big impact on where people choose to live.

I have been fighting the urge to expound on the benefit of the user fee model we have now. And how electric and high-MPG cars are effective in providing a disincentive to own a gas guzzler (because gas taxes have to rise to keep a level amount of revenue for infrastructure construction and maintenance). All of which agrees with my environmental outlook. See? I am not mentioning any of that in this post. I wouldn't think of delving into what some might see as a political discussion, but to me is largely just about math. I like math. Math and reading. Reading is fundamental. Is there such a thing as a non-fun damental? Same question about draisers.

Time for meds.

 

[Injunjoe]

How will it apply to vehicles licensed as motorcycles?

 

[floydv]

If they're going to do that sort of tax, it ought to be calculated as a function of both vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and vehicle weight, not solely on VMT, since the current VMT-only approach penalizes high-mpg hybrids, EVs, and Elios. Also, a vehicle's weight has a more direct effect on road damage than simple VMT. Or they could base the tax on VMT and the vehicle's mpg rating (as an inverse proportion) if they're aiming to reduce VMT and air pollution. That is, the tax would go up the more the vehicle travels and the more it's a gas guzzler.

 

[WilliamH]

If they're going to do that sort of tax, it ought to be calculated as a function of both vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and vehicle weight, not solely on VMT, since the current VMT-only approach penalizes high-mpg hybrids, EVs, and Elios. Also, a vehicle's weight has a more direct effect on road damage than simple VMT. Or they could base the tax on VMT and the vehicle's mpg rating (as an inverse proportion) if they're aiming to reduce VMT and air pollution. That is, the tax would go up the more the vehicle travels and the more it's a gas guzzler.

It might also be helpful if the "gas tax" or VMT was used only for the original intended purpose rather than for airports and various mass transit projects.

 

[floydv]

It might also be helpful if the "gas tax" or VMT was used only for the original intended purpose rather than for airports and various mass transit projects.

Amen to that.

 

[Coss]

Oregon doesn't do Sales Tax, but they do have a state income tax; another strange thing they do is rather than call a tax, a tax, they call them Fees.
This way they can pass items, and people don't get to vote on them. They have been trying to figure out a way to pay for street maintenance for the last 10 years, and this is just one of the things they came up with to raise money; they were even trying to figure out a way to charge non-residence this same mileage tax because in so many places people work in Oregon, and live in WA, ID or CA. When they put this proposal out to people they complain loudly; when they tried to include out of state people, that got shot down too simply because people in WA, ID and CA already pay a gas tax and it would be a logistical nightmare.