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> The justification for the dramatic hike? Electric vehicles don’t provide the state with any gas tax revenue. Oh, that's just farcical. Americans drive an ave

> The justification for the dramatic hike? Electric vehicles don’t provide the state with any gas tax revenue. Oh, that's just farcical. Americans drive an average of slightly less than 14k miles / year. At that 44¢/gal tax rate, that's ~$200 of tax / year; nowhere near the proposed $1000. And this comparison assumes that the state doesn't tax electricity at all. This smells like someone's representative has been bought and paid for.

reaperducer 8y ago
There's more to it than that. "...more than double the state’s gas tax to 44 cents a gallon, double the driver’s license fee to $60 and raise the vehicle registration fee to $148. The driver’s license fee is now $30; the vehicle registration fee is $98. It also would significantly hike the registration fee for electric vehicles, from $17.50 to $1,000." $17.50 → $1,000 is one heck of a jump. As is $98 → $148. For some reason I find the doubling of the driver's license fee as less offensive. Maybe because it doesn't have to be paid every year. One way that Illinois is a lot like Texas is that legacy auto dealers are enormous sources of political contributions.
senectus1 8y ago
its more than that though. gas "tax" helps pay for road building and maintenance. These cars are still using the roads and still expect more to be built. the money has to come from somewhere... In Australia they're having a very similar conversation about people going "off grid" and still having to pay utilities, because those services are needed by the greater community (hospitals, water and sewage and those not yet fortunate enough to be able to afford going off grid) Really takes some of the shine out of the renewable scene...
- deathanatos 8y ago
  > gas "tax" helps pay for road building and maintenance. These cars are still using the roads and still expect more to be built. the money has to come from somewhere... That's the point: I'm not saying that EVs shouldn't pay for their fair share of road maintenance. But the hike heavily implies that's not the case here: EVs are paying more than their non-electric counterparts (see the math in the post you're replying to). And not just a little more, several times more.

reaperducer 8y ago

There's more to it than that. "...more than double the state’s gas tax to 44 cents a gallon, double the driver’s license fee to $60 and raise the vehicle registration fee to $148. The driver’s license fee is now $30; the vehicle registration fee is $98. It also would significantly hike the registration fee for electric vehicles, from $17.50 to $1,000." $17.50 → $1,000 is one heck of a jump. As is $98 → $148. For some reason I find the doubling of the driver's license fee as less offensive. Maybe because it doesn't have to be paid every year. One way that Illinois is a lot like Texas is that legacy auto dealers are enormous sources of political contributions.

senectus1 8y ago

its more than that though. gas "tax" helps pay for road building and maintenance. These cars are still using the roads and still expect more to be built. the money has to come from somewhere... In Australia they're having a very similar conversation about people going "off grid" and still having to pay utilities, because those services are needed by the greater community (hospitals, water and sewage and those not yet fortunate enough to be able to afford going off grid) Really takes some of the shine out of the renewable scene...

deathanatos 8y ago
> gas "tax" helps pay for road building and maintenance. These cars are still using the roads and still expect more to be built. the money has to come from somewhere... That's the point: I'm not saying that EVs shouldn't pay for their fair share of road maintenance. But the hike heavily implies that's not the case here: EVs are paying more than their non-electric counterparts (see the math in the post you're replying to). And not just a little more, several times more.