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Bill to remove the EV tax credit, and actually add a tax for EVs

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by Curlyone, Oct 10, 2018.

  1. Curlyone

    Curlyone Member

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    A bill is being introduced to not only remove the $7500 tax credit but also adds a new fee for alternative fuel cars

    Republican introduces new bill to end the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric cars and tax them more instead - Electrek

    Of course it's introduced by a senator bought off by big oil and gas companies.

    The article lacks any details as the bill isn't official yet. Lots of interesting discussions on reddit where I first saw the link about how best to ensure EV owners pay their fair share of road upkeep. Kind of ironic as today was the first time I bought any gas since getting my Prime (1500 miles on the first tank, not bad :) )
     
  2. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

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    Those of us in Indiana already pay $50 extra hybrid fee or a $150 electric fee to register our vehicles.
     
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    oh boy. likely won't pass
     
  4. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    "Senator John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming, introduced the bill this week."

    R-WY?

    That seems less likely to be 'bought off', and more likely to be born and bred that way. No purchase required.

    Remember that Wyoming has the highest per-capita carbon emissions of all the states, and by a wide margin. Extraction of carbon fuels is a huge portion of its economy.
     
    #4 fuzzy1, Oct 10, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2018
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  5. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    In South Carolina, there is already a $30 annual surcharge for hybrids and a $60 surcharge for BEV's and plug in hybrids.
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if they lose the credits, maybe they'll lose the debits
     
  7. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I'm pretty sure "introducing" a bill makes it official. The article gives a link with its Senate Bill number.

    S. 3559

    It just seems like the text hasn't made it to the web site yet. It was introduced on 6 October, read twice, and referred to the Committee on Finance.

    I wonder if the text can be found in the 6 October Congressional Record.

    Edit: apparently not:

    s3559.png

    -Chap
     
    #7 ChapmanF, Oct 10, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2018
  8. eroeder

    eroeder Junior Member

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    Doesn’t surprise me and I would have bought regardless. I’m a repeat plug-in PRIUS owner, but to be fair, subsidies are no longer needed. Free cash is nice, but I have to be honest about the program. People want to buy these cars in increasing numbers now that cars have improved look and performance. The auto landscape is no longer void of EV Vehicles.

    Additionally, highway repairs are fund by the highway tax on fuel. If you don’t buy fuel, you do wear and tear on roads but don’t pay for upkeep. High mileage gas car are causing an impact too. This is why governments are shifting to auto user fees to level playing field and fund the coffers.

    It is a similar situation in the solar world - Don’t buy electricity, you don’t pay for the upkeep of electrical infrastructure which is needed. Hawaii is feeling that pain and looking for a solution to that.
     
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  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    gas tax doesn't get spent on highway maintenance, and neither does hybrid tax. it's all a shamscam
     
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  10. Starship16

    Starship16 Senior Member

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    The Democrats in Californis also introduced an increase in the gas pump tax. And an extra fee on the annual registration renewal for hybrid owners, and/or EV owners. $100? But I think there may be a repeal on November's ballot.

    And bisco is correct. Our road work is something like 25 years behind schedule? Where does that tax money go? And I think Los Angeles leads the nation in air polution... or is in the top 5 cities. But supposedly we have the toughest environmental / pollution regulations. Something is just not right.
     
    #10 Starship16, Oct 10, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2018
  11. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Make the EV tax universal for all cars and trailers and then cut the gas/diesel tax:
    • provides a steady revenue for highways and bridges
    • taxes trailers which burn no gas yet wear the roads
    • reduces gas pump prices
    Bob Wilson
     
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  12. Curlyone

    Curlyone Member

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    Think I'm with Bob on this:
    My guess is this will be a hard sell to many people that dont know how much they are paying in gas tax now. Telling someone they will be paying $100 every year to register their vehicle sounds worse than you will be paying 40.2 cents per gallon of gas (using the Arkansas gas tax as an example).

    I dont mind paying taxes for road infrastructure, I'm using the roads and gain other benefits from having a good road system. Even in this case where a flat fee would likely cost me more in the long run (I tend to drive less than most folks I know). Just hope those in charge dont over react.
     
  13. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    In Wisconsin BEV sales fell over 90% after the “Prius Tax” passed increasing registration fees by 133% on affected cars.

    The DMV does not yet collect the tax from all consumers do to $5,000,000 in upgrades needed to implement the tax.

    Annual fees are VERY inefficient usually only half makes it past bureaucratic overhead costs.

    Our state realized millions of dollars in savings every year by extending how long a drivers license is valid despite a lower yearly cost to the consumer. The number of “invalid “ drivers licenses encountered at state agencies dropped massively as well.

    My belief is a total elimination of all annual fees coupled with an energy cost increase to offset the lost revenue would be most efficient. AKA the only time I should buy license plates is when I buy the car.

    My EV reports energy use back to big brother, my monthly EV tax could be pegged to the state gas tax rate and added to my utility bill.

    I strongly disagree with fixed fees or the belief that all cars owe the same amount for roads regardless of weight or miles which are inefficient to try to monitor let alone tax anyway.

    In Wisconsin when our license fees went up roughly 50% (years ago) the police noticed a dramatic uptick in expired plates that has continued to this day.

    Annual Fees always have unintended consequences
     
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  14. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    While my Prius v gets about 43 MPG, husband's gas fueled Nissan Versa Note gets 33. Based on the logic of taxing hybrids and plug-ins, mopeds should be paying a registration fee of $30+ a year, too.
     
    #14 Georgina Rudkus, Oct 11, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2018
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  15. triggerhappy007

    triggerhappy007 Active Member

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    That seems really low. Is your commute very short so the engine doesn't get a chance to warm up? If so, time to upgrade to a Prime. :)
     
  16. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    This is actually a good thing.
    When it makes economic sense to roll a BEV without the tax kickbacks - THEN "big oil" will have something to worry about.

    Until then?
    They're arguably no better than anybody else that's just fighting over subsidies......
     
  17. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    I don't think it gets sent to the floor soon enough. We'll see what happens to the dynamics of congress after Nov.
     
  18. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I'm fine with the tax credit ending now that Tesla has reached the limit.
    Plug in numbers are still low in comparison to the rest of the fleet, making it to soon to actually start taxing them. Then on a practical note, how will the feds collect this tax? Vehicle registration is done at the state level. Will the states be forced to collect it? Will they be reimbursed the cost of doing so?
     
  19. huskers

    huskers Senior Member

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    Yes, lets tax those who are doing their part to reduce carbon emissions. It is not like the planet will warm up any time soon.
     
  20. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    You're not a corn farmer, are you?