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Featured Wisconsin Hybrid Tax- is it legal?

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by hornigio, Sep 29, 2017.

  1. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    How can a HOA block an EV? Don't they have to accept any licensed vehicle owned by a member? As a HOA former officer in two HOAs in two different states, I've seen parking boats, trailers, RVs banned. But to deny a home owner access to his property in a state licensed car?

    Any references?
     
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  2. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    You aren't talking to a rookie here.
    I have been IN farming SINCE about 1960.

    If you know anyone who drives actual farm equipment a hundred miles on the highway.......they need to have their head examined.
    If they have any sense at all, they HAUL that equipment on flatbed trucks .......that DO pay highway taxes.

    I quit. It's pretty obvious that your mind is made up.
    Cheers.
     
  3. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    Yes. I answered that back about post #3.

    The people that levy the taxes are the ones that MAKE the rest of the laws too.

    In general, they can AND DO tax anything they damn well please.
    There are NO laws against discrimination when it comes to taxes.
     
  4. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    Having been a motorcycle rider for about 50 years, I am painfully aware of restrictions like that.
    Some stick and some don't.
    The city of Chicago tried to ban bikes on Lake Shore Drive a while back. It stuck for a while.

    But yes, in general, a HOA can enact any restrictions that it pleases.......if the owners vote for it.
    Applying them retro-actively gets really sticky though.
     
  5. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    So far I think ID, MI, are taxing hybrids. VA was taxing hybrids for one year but stopped it after new Gov.

    You can say is it's unfair to discriminate against hybrids for taxes...Toyota (and auto maker groups) try to advise states that taxes should be "technology neutral" as long as fuel is gasoline.

    So here what a hybrid tax says: "If you are driving a Highlander Hybrid at 25 MPG you owe extra tax due the word "hybrid"...if you are driving a 25 MPG Aluminum F150, that's OK because aluminum is allowed as a tax-free MPG technology."
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yep, no point to buying a hybrid if a gasser can do the same job at the same mpg.
     
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  7. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    Indeed it is, Wisconsin is not IN,

    My uncle pulls heavy loads about 50 miles with FARM plates on his truck towing an off road 4wheel farm trailer behind.

    He may pay some gas tax but his trailer is not paying the normal 50,000 lb cost a semi would hauling that load.

    The effort has been to gut fees that apply to special local interests including AG

    Campaign Cash: Heavy Trucks Cause Most Road Damage » Urban Milwaukee
     
  8. bhtooefr

    bhtooefr Senior Member

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    OK, so looking at the actual law that was passed...

    So, under what was passed, the definition of "hybrid electric vehicle" is what the EPA considers a "plug-in hybrid vehicle" or the IRS considers a "Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicle". 4+ kWh PHEVs, basically.

    This isn't a Prius tax, it's a PHEV/BEV tax. (That said, there's some wording in there that makes me suspect that a hypothetical mild PHEV - the LaFerrari, maybe, although that IIRC doesn't count as a PHEV legally even though it has a plug due to insufficent battery - would be exempt.)
     
  9. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    That's a win, but what are the fees?
    Are we back to $75/$100 or up to the original $75/$150?

    Also, it says a hybrid vehicle with a 4kwhr battery or larger that may or may not plug in

    The state rarely taxes specially made larger hybrids but it would appear they are, (the hybrid city buses buzzing by my house fall in that category)
    but the 2 mode Tahoe is excempt with 2kwhr of capacity.
     
  10. bhtooefr

    bhtooefr Senior Member

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    That's actually a good point, the "may be capable of being recharged" could include some large non-PHEVs if they have a lot of battery. (The hybrid city buses are well over 8000 lbs GVWR, though, and therefore would be exempt.)

    In any case, per that law, it's $75 for (effectively) PHEVs, $100 for BEVs. That's... honestly, that's actually pretty reasonable if you're going to institute an EV tax.
     
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  11. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    This still really sucks for a PIP driver.

    Or those guys that run their PHEV as just a gas car or the 3500 mile per year IMIEV owners,
     
  12. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Translate IMIEV for me please. (I like to get acronyms that aren't in the site acronyms list added for the benefit of all.)
     
  13. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Bob Wilson
     
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  14. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Yes I agree totally Plug-ins are a different story, and a nominal fee makes sense. Toyota also makes that point. I realize Plug-in America asks for delayed implementation of Plug-in fees as an incentive to help plug-ins get started, but OK.

    I am still thinking 2 states - ID and MI may tax Prii and hybrids. MI the hybrid fee I think is fairly small,
     
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agree with plug in america. good government delays many taxes to encourage one thing or another.
     
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  16. bhtooefr

    bhtooefr Senior Member

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    Yeah, I'm not in favor of plug-in taxes yet, but I think if you're going to do one, what they've enacted seems fairly reasonable.

    The $150-200 ones are ridiculous, though. And, I agree that PiP and i-MiEV owners get a raw deal as a result, due to the low electric mileage, but administration costs on an odometer-based taxation system would likely exceed revenue, especially in a state without state-wide vehicle inspections (so an odometer inspection has to be instituted).
     
  17. DMC-5180

    DMC-5180 Active Member

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    Other states with EV or Hybrid fees.

    Source: http://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/Documents/transportation/Motor_Vehicle_Registration_Fees_18014.pdf#page=23

    AZ- no Hybrid fee
    EV Fee is $4 per $100 accessed value.

    CA- EV fee $100 added

    CO- EV fee $50 added

    CT- EV registration fee discounted to $38 biennial

    DC- EV registration fee is discounted to $36 first year only

    GA- EV fee $200 added

    ID- EV fee $140 and $75 on certain Hybrids

    IL- EV registration fee Discounted to $35 for a 2 year registration.

    IN- EV fee $150 added

    IA- EV discounted to $25 or $15 for older than 6 years.

    MI- $47.50 Hybrid fee under 8000 lb

    $117.50 hybrid fee over 8000 lb

    $135 EV fee under 8000 lb

    $235 EV fee over 8000 lb

    MO- EV fee $75 added

    NE- EV $75 added

    NC- EV fee $130 added

    OR- EV only registration fee $43 annual

    SC- EV fee $120 added starting January 2018

    TN- EV fee $100 added

    VA- EV fee $64 added

    WA- EV fee $150 added

    WI- Not listed but coming soon.

    WY- EV fee $50 added


    Glad I don’t live in ARIZONA. Vehicle registration is very expensive using the valuation method.
     
  18. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Good list...I'd be curious if AZ is correct. Believe AZ is like VA with fairly high annual car tax, but that would be on all vehicles.

    P.S.- Yes be glad you do not have that car tax.
     
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  19. DMC-5180

    DMC-5180 Active Member

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    The AZ- EV fee (4%) is an rate change adjustment from the Standard 2.89% rate use in there base calculation for regular vehicles.

    Standard vehicle base registration formula:

    $8 + $1.50 air quality research fee + vehicle license tax of 2.89 percent (assessed value of 60 percent of the MSRP - reduced by 16.25 percent each year)

    A simple example:

    50,000 MSRP reduced to 60% value $30,000 x 2.89%= $867

    Using EV rate of 4.00%= $1200

    $333 up charge for EV in this example calculation.
     
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  20. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    "IA- EV discounted to $25 or $15 for older than 6 years."

    Wisconsin used to charge bi-annual $28 plates on EVs

    I agree with reducing EV fees after the EV reaches a certain year, reason is if you don't you kill the used car sales.

    A lot of cars here in WI started life in Georgia , wondering if stateside used EV sales are going to blip down.