3 ms·

Republicans want to tax EV drivers $200/year in new transport bill

11 points by pseudolus 2y ago

0xEF 2y ago
I mean, if we ignore the knee-jerk reaction of "more taxes = bad" we can ask some reasonable questions such as: 1. What would these new taxes go toward funding? Better roads? Charging stations? Improved transportation infrastructure of any kind? 2. If the funds will be allocated toward something worthwhile, is $250/year really that much to ask? I can tell you that I would not miss it but for the day I had to pay it. If adding a $200+ fee is supposed to be a deterrent to people buying EVs, it's a stupid number to start with. By owning the EV, you're going to save ten times that not buying gasoline each year. Or is the plan to get this passed at this low dollar amount, then turn around and raise it to $2000/year? Not that I want to deter people from buying EVs.
aurareturn 2y ago
Is the US falling into the "resource curse"[0]? The fact that the US is now the world's #1 oil producer means that political policies will start to favor things like slowing down EV/hybrid adoption, encouraging higher oil prices, ignoring global warming. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse
- ty6853 2y ago
  It is due to the fact EVs relatively freeload via using roads without paying fuel taxes, and take from everyone else using ev federal subsidies. Of course 18-wheelers and large trucks are probably worse. Small passenger ICE cars end up paying way over their share because they don't do much wear on the road but still get hit for a disproportionately large gas and use taxes.
- Tadpole9181 2y ago
  It's so much worse than that. They aren't even doing this because of money, they're doing it as a part of a culture war against liberals. Intelligence, patience, kindness, sustainability, deliberation - all signs of weakness to be purged and replaced with a caricature of masculinity sold to them by media. It doesn't matter that it's better for their health, that it's economical, that it's important for their children, or even that it's a spiritually-mandated care for God's gift to man (for those that believe that sort of thing). Jesus is too woke anyway.
_mlbt 2y ago
Previous discussions… https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43852500 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43852500 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43846005 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43846005
lillecarl 2y ago
Is this just Dolan being mad at Elon? What does 200$ a year matter on a relatively new car...

11 points by pseudolus 2y ago

0xEF 2y ago

I mean, if we ignore the knee-jerk reaction of "more taxes = bad" we can ask some reasonable questions such as: 1. What would these new taxes go toward funding? Better roads? Charging stations? Improved transportation infrastructure of any kind? 2. If the funds will be allocated toward something worthwhile, is $250/year really that much to ask? I can tell you that I would not miss it but for the day I had to pay it. If adding a $200+ fee is supposed to be a deterrent to people buying EVs, it's a stupid number to start with. By owning the EV, you're going to save ten times that not buying gasoline each year. Or is the plan to get this passed at this low dollar amount, then turn around and raise it to $2000/year? Not that I want to deter people from buying EVs.

aurareturn 2y ago

Is the US falling into the "resource curse"[0]? The fact that the US is now the world's #1 oil producer means that political policies will start to favor things like slowing down EV/hybrid adoption, encouraging higher oil prices, ignoring global warming. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse

ty6853 2y ago
It is due to the fact EVs relatively freeload via using roads without paying fuel taxes, and take from everyone else using ev federal subsidies. Of course 18-wheelers and large trucks are probably worse. Small passenger ICE cars end up paying way over their share because they don't do much wear on the road but still get hit for a disproportionately large gas and use taxes.
Tadpole9181 2y ago
It's so much worse than that. They aren't even doing this because of money, they're doing it as a part of a culture war against liberals. Intelligence, patience, kindness, sustainability, deliberation - all signs of weakness to be purged and replaced with a caricature of masculinity sold to them by media. It doesn't matter that it's better for their health, that it's economical, that it's important for their children, or even that it's a spiritually-mandated care for God's gift to man (for those that believe that sort of thing). Jesus is too woke anyway.

_mlbt 2y ago

Previous discussions… https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43852500 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43852500 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43846005 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43846005

lillecarl 2y ago

Is this just Dolan being mad at Elon? What does 200$ a year matter on a relatively new car...