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I think it’d be pretty bad to penalize electric cars based on weight squared unless fossil fuels are eliminated from transportation. Then I agree.
by Robotbeat 4y ago
I think it’d be pretty bad to penalize electric cars based on weight squared unless fossil fuels are eliminated from transportation. Then I agree.
- cptskippy 4y agoIt's not really a penalty. Road repair costs are real and you should be paying your share proportional to your usage of the road and the amount of damage your vehicle causes. When ICE are the only game in town, a fuel tax is a simple solution because larger more damaging vehicles are generally less fuel efficient. The downside is that anyone using fuel for non-ICEV usage is unfairly taxed. Perhaps putting the tax on tires is the solution because tire wear tracks to usage and vehicle weight as well? You can still have a fuel tax to penalize ICE in addition.
- Robotbeat 4y agoFuel taxes WERE ALWAYS supposed to be a conservation measure and Pigouvian tax on pollution AS WELL AS a use tax. So a replacement tax that doesn’t have the same effect of taxing CO2 emissions is effectively subsidizing CO2 emissions compared to the status quo. That seems like a bad idea.
- cptskippy 4y agoI don't think anyone was suggesting what you're calling a bad idea.
- asdff 4y agoWhy not? Penalize all vehicles based on weight squared. People shouldn't be moving to electric cars if they actually are concerned about climate change. They should strive to replace as many trips as possible with bike commuting and letting the car they already own and works fine sit in the garage collecting dust, versus willing a new one into existence from parts extracted from around the earth and perpetuating an autocentric and consumptive lifestyle.
- Robotbeat 4y agoBecause then you’re effectively subsidizing CO2 emissions by penalizing the significantly lower emissions vehicles.
- freemint 4y agoWhy should society be subsidising road damages by penalizing light cars? It is giving people an incentive to buy larger range electric cars which also need more resources for batteries. Lighter electric cars can also use smaller motors for the same acceleration.
- Robotbeat 4y agoI have nothing against incentivizing smaller electric cars. But the problem is folks will just buy fossil fuel cars of the same class because they’re slightly lighter (also can be weighed with an empty gas tank).
- freemint 4y agoSo what placing wrong incentives because they neutralise a bad incentive in one component is still bad.
- asdff 4y agoYou aren't penalizing the lower emissions vehicles such as ebikes and regular old bikes which is the point. Switching to a 5000lb EV that you exchange every lease isn't the solution.