1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Punitive taxes for hybrid owners.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Prius Rising, Apr 19, 2019.

  1. Prius Rising

    Prius Rising Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2019
    150
    78
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    A little background about me and my Prius. Once upon a time I was arguably the last person on earth that would own a Prius on purpose. Much of that was out of my own ignorance about just how awesome these car's really are. About two years ago I started watching the "van life" movement on YouTube and was intrigued.

    I think many people have a dream about buying an RV and doing a cross country tour. I decided to give it a try and was trying to figure out the best van and the best build for my limited budget when I ran across someone doing van life in a Prius, Crazy right? I loved how you could leave the heat or AC on all night and the car would just start and re charge itself.


    Anyway, I was curious so a did a craigslist search of used Prius in my area and was surprised at how many 300k plus Prius there were for sale in my area. I did a google on common Prius issues and was again surprised at just how reliable these cars seem to be.

    I set the whole issue aside for a few months as I thought the whole thing over. I finally decided to pull the trigger on the idea and again started researching the Prius. I could have AC and heat as well as awesome fuel economy and reliability and they were not that expensive in the secondary market.

    Call it fate or providence or just dumb luck but I pulled into my mechanics shop the next day and there sat this 2005 Toyota Prius. Apparently a kid was traveling from Minnesota to DC for a new job and the car broke down in Ohio. He was trying to scrap it but (get this) the scrap yard was afraid to take it because of the fully functional hybrid battery.

    They called a few shops to try and sell it before someone gave them my guys number. He traded them a few days storage in exchange for the car. The thing still ran but just really crappy seemed to be missing on one cylinder.

    His son in law wanted it but I talked him into selling it to me for 750. Neither of us knew what was wrong with it so I took a leap of faith. When we finally got it up on the rack there was a rather conspicuous hole where the rod exited the block.

    I was not discouraged especially when we found a great used motor for 275. We put it in along with several other new parts and I had a running driving Prius for 1200. We had small bugs to work out but finally got it on the road this past march.

    I was excited getting the know the car and all it's mysterious functions. Prius Chat forum was a valuable resource but I could have made a hilarious gag reel of two motor heads from Ohio trying to figure out how to start and run a Prius for the first time.

    Anyway I was feeling pretty good about my decision when Ohio decided to implement a new 10 cent per gallon fuel tax. I felt I was fortunate saving this nice little car from the shredder and saving on fuel as well. Hell it would pay for itself in a few years?

    At the last moment they decided to penalize hybrid car owners with a 100 per year fine and full electric owners with a 200 per year fine. All I hear from politicians is how we need to be more green and save the environment yet when people actually start doing it they get penalized.

    I understand that hybrid owners would be using less fuel and paying less tax but hybrid care are also the lightest vehicles on the road therefore inflicting far less damage than an SUV or even a regular coupe.

    Do you guys think this is a fair deal? Personally, I think it sucks and it's going to kill the hybrid market in my state. Sorry this was so long. (y)
     
  2. Prius Rising

    Prius Rising Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2019
    150
    78
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    you'll get different opinions here.

    mine is that government should be promoting low fossil fuel vehicles, not penalizing them.

    but the real issue is that pols are afraid to raise the gas tax. it's a sure exit out the door from voters on both sides of the aisle
     
    Rmay635703 and Prius Rising like this.
  4. Prius Rising

    Prius Rising Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2019
    150
    78
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    You had better believe that's true. Mike Dewine sold himself as this limited government conservative yet 5 minutes after he won the election he wanted an 18 cent per gallon fuel tax. He is DONE when his term expires as the internet never forgets.

    I don't know how badly this would effect the new hybrid market but when someone is thinking of buying a used car maybe one with high miles that extra 100 per year is a deal breaker.:mad:
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    definitely. sales are already dropping, and that won't help. many staes have already implemented the hybrid tax.
     
  6. Prius Rising

    Prius Rising Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2019
    150
    78
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A

    Several have, and several have rejected it. Personally, I don't like getting scammed when I am trying to do something good. What about in a few years when it's 200 and 300? :cautious:
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    it's been a tough slog for alt fuel vehicles in many ways. there are a lot of behind the scenes players with deep pockets doing everything they can to keep the stats quo.
     
    Prius Rising likes this.
  8. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,035
    10,010
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    No, Prii are not really that light. All my household's 1980s econocars were/are significantly lighter.

    But compared to commercial trucks, the weight damage from all regular coupes and even SUVs is negligible. On any road that can carry trucks, age and weather are larger factors than passenger car weight. But it is passenger cars, not trucks, that drive the need for additional lanes and vehicle capacity, regardless of how light they are.

    My state does have an annual weight fee on passenger cars too, but it is very small compared to the trucks. The bottom lightest category reaches up to 4000 pounds.
     
    jerrymildred and Prius Rising like this.
  9. Prius Rising

    Prius Rising Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2019
    150
    78
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    When you kill the used market for hybrids you eventually kill the new market and make hybrids a novelty for the affluent. There are weekly riots in Paris mostly over the fuel tax issue.

    Fuel taxes mostly hurt working people and the poor but singling out hybrid owners for extra tax rape is just plain wrong. :mad:
     
  10. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,035
    10,010
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Roads are not free, somebody has to pay for them. Preferably, that should be the actual road users.

    Fuel taxes have not kept up with inflation, so any 'tax rape' is less severe than it used to be for everyone who uses fuel. And that is without counting in the lower fuel consumption of today's vehicles.

    Would you prefer to pay by the mile, as some states are studying? I trust that you are not so crass as to demand roads for free.
     
    #10 fuzzy1, Apr 19, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2019
  11. Prius Rising

    Prius Rising Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2019
    150
    78
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A

    Sorry comrade, I will get my mind right and pledge allegiance to the state. :rolleyes:
     
    bisco likes this.
  12. Prius Rising

    Prius Rising Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2019
    150
    78
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A

    You see, I thought this was all about helping the environment and reducing carbon footprints. I'm starting to think it's all about the money and government could care less about being green. Why are you flippant about the working poor not to mention marginalizing hybrid vehicles to the broader public?
     
    bisco and Rmay635703 like this.
  13. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,035
    10,010
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Sorry, I didn't realize you were a communist or similar type, expecting the government to provide all infrastructure without fee.
    No, fuel taxes and other road fees are about maintaining the transportation system. And those fees are now inadequate, so much more must be taken from general treasury funds.

    Environment and carbon footprints and greenness are separate issues from maintaining the public road system, and are charged and funded separately.
    If you really cared about those, you'd be using more public transit, bicycling, and walking. Hybrid vehicles are a stepping stone along the way to a solution, but are not a sufficient solution in themselves. More steps are required beyond them.

    Why are you so flippant as to demand free services just because you have taken just one of the many steps needed to reach a climate solution?
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  14. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2016
    2,567
    1,595
    0
    Location:
    Somewhere in Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2013 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    Don’t worry PR all fuzzy cares about is that his Amazon packages come to his door subsidized by tax payers instead of forcing the true costs onto industry so we can move freight to rail and drive some demand locally by making the true costs come through to those actually responsible.


    A funny thing happens when you leave carb, you find lots of very old hybrids and even old EVs owned by poor people that don’t drive many miles.

    There are under 50,000 hybrids in Ohio out of millions of cars, hardly enough to fund a road.

    There is under 10,000 EVs there as well.

    Here is what these taxes do in the real world

    Obviously the road funding problem is solved if no one buys hybrids or EVs and that is all these taxes accomplish.

    D86A7C9C-97DB-46D6-B37C-6290C66636C0.jpeg
     
    Prius Rising likes this.
  15. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2016
    2,567
    1,595
    0
    Location:
    Somewhere in Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2013 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    Free? My Arse

    A Prius isn’t that inexpensive to own and he burns plenty of gas.

    A gas burning hybrid should never pay a special tax
    my Subaru 360 gets around 60mpg, higher than a Prius but pays NOTHING for annual registration due to its age.

    Do you figure motivating folks who want to save $$ to drive non-pollution controlled cars like this 2 cycle oil burner or old Honda’s from the 80’s is a good policy since they don’t pay an extremely ignorant fee?

    I’ve already had guys at work say I’m dumb to own what I do Because I have to pay a tax and their trucks don’t.

    But yeah, you’ve fully fallen for the Koch brothers 10 year fair share campaign all the while 200,000 lb sand rigs and lumber trucks, taxis and cement trucks are road tax exempt.

    When those loopholes are closed and we start getting semis back to local haul only then you can talk with a straight face about what some guy just trying to get to work that has no public transport is forced to pay to make ends meet.
     
    Maisie, bisco and Prius Rising like this.
  16. Prius Rising

    Prius Rising Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2019
    150
    78
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A

    Well, the thing is that I still pay license plate fees and fuel taxes. Being singled out for a 100 fine just because I have a Hybrid is wrong no matter how you slice it. :cautious:
     

    Attached Files:

  17. Prius Rising

    Prius Rising Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2019
    150
    78
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    lolz1.jpg
     
  18. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    This thread will probably be migrating soon to FHOP:whistle:.

    I guess based on title it should have always been there(y).
     
    jerrymildred and Prius Rising like this.
  19. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,035
    10,010
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Is that even street legal in your state? I'm seeing that it is so tiny that it didn't even need to meet any passenger car safety standards of that era. And also that the advertised MPG was not on anything close to EPA test requirements, CU got just half that claim. They could not legally advertise that claimed MPG number now.
    You are doing one hell of a lot of projecting.
    I can't help it that there are folks who are so tax averse that they are willing to pay many hundreds of dollars in higher fuel bills just to save a one hundred dollars of tax. Similar to my late father-in-law, who was avoiding $7000 in simple interest income (rates were higher back then) in order to avoid the income tax on it and get a couple hundred dollars of low-income senior-citizen property tax reduction. Many folks are simply fiscally illiterate.
     
    #19 fuzzy1, Apr 19, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2019
  20. Prius Rising

    Prius Rising Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2019
    150
    78
    0
    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A

    Da fark is that? :eek: