Yep, if EVs take off we will need a separate tax on them assuming no change to how we fund infrastructure since they don’t contribute to the state and federal highway funds through gas taxes.
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They have taken off…in CA
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Is that really more specific to Tesla, though? I see a ton of those; I don’t see a lot of other EVs (although presumably more here anywhere else in the US)…
Just look at the ask for many of the SoCal people on here…EVs.
Have their been a ton (I don’t read all threads)? I certainly see posts on BMW i3s, but I assumed that that was b/c loyalty and MSD + tax credit + relatively poor sales means that leases can be attractive on those models.
Another thing is that it’s not clear to me how representative posters on LH are relative to the general car buying population, even in CA.
i3s, Clarity, Bolt, Volt, anything with a plug. SoCal dealers have a waiting list for EVs, and they’re snagged as soon as they get off the truck.
Honestly, I feel like this is a regressive tax that will only hurt the poor. I can change my schedule to drive at off hours. I can even work from home. But I also wouldn’t bat an eye to pay for added convenience. But it’s the poor people who have inflexible jobs that have to drive at peak hours to get to work. I hope this gets voted down like the repeal of the gas tax. Haha, the gas tax - which would have just been replaced by a toll booth every 5 miles like NJ.
I imagine that all of those poor people are already taking public transport (taking hours each way) and that many of them work overnight or off-hour shifts…
I live in a fairly well off SoCal suburb. 10 years ago the “official concerned green citizen” car here was the Prius. Then it was the Nissan Leaf. Now it is anything Tesla. On any given day around here I see a ton of Teslas, Leafs, i3’s, Bolts, e-Golfs and even 500e’s. So yeah, lots of EVs around here. I’m certain the car pool stickers are a major driver of EV sales.
At the same time there are plenty of bro-dozers and tons of the huge 6,000 GVW SUVs that qualify for the section 179 business write offs (lots of business owners here).
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I imagine that + tax credits that take some of the hurt out of purchasing an EV. It’ll be interesting to see what happens once the tax credits expire (which should happen for Tesla soon) and when the hybrid carpool exemption expires…
Pretty sure that in the beginning you get those nice incentives to buy, but as those go away, soon there will be fees that are going to get tacked on to the EV cars people buy.
No different than every laptop or computer gets a recycling fee, those big fancy EV batteries are a juicy target for taxing a battery fee, unless they’re already doing it as I don’t own an EV to know, the powers to be are just holding back so mass adoption happens first.
The expiring carpool sticker situation seems to drive people to buy/lease replacement cars. Which then dumps the EVs into the used market which I suspect makes the California Air Resources Board people smile. They got the rich people who can afford it to buy another EV and now a poorer person can drive the old one.
I think Tesla will survive the tax credit situation because they have developed brand desirability.
GM on the other hand is going to have a hard time shifting Bolts. I’m sure that the loss of the tax credit was one of the main reasons they killed off the Volt despite the lamentations of all the EV fan boys.
A bit off topic, but I do wonder how Tesla will survive the move downmarket. I suspect people buying the lower 3s (and upcoming Y?) are spending a substantially larger portion of their discretionary income on the car, and I think people who spend a large % of the income on a car (any car) will not be as forgiving of the quality issues as have the richer folks. Profit margins also shrink.
California already has an EV road tax…it will go in effect in 2020.
As for some of you wondering why there are so many evs on the roads lately…i’ll give you a few reasons. Number one is cost…after the available credits the Clarity phev i got for my wife is cheaper and nicer than the Accord but with more options and way better mpg. Many, myself included, have solar so the fuel is free…which is a big deal here where gas prices always seem to gravitate to $4. My personal car is an eGolf so between the 2 cars we are at about 95% electric miles. I recently took my car for the 20k maintenance service…all they did was tire rotation and cabin air filter change (the 10k was just tire rotation)…so maintenance costs are considered. And last, i pay tens of thousands in $ each year in fed and state tax so why not get some of that back or keep more of my money?
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Depending on where you live (Santa Monica), you even get free parking at the meter (not a small expense).
I hope to not be in the market again for another 5-5.5 yrs or so, but I really am interested in seeing where hydrogen goes. Yeah, I know, no infrastructure, but my commute is pretty short, and I live about a mile away from a hydrogen fueling station. The Nexo I saw at the auto show seemed pretty nice…
Installation of that solar wasn’t free though.
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California gas prices are going up again this year due to new gas taxes. We might push $5/gallon. I don’t think that will affect congestion, though.
True, but my household electric consumption will offset the install costs as the system payoff was just under 6 years. People need to realize these PV systems have break-even times…after which the energy you get truly is free. I look at it as an investment. We can philosophize about other better dividend paying investments but this is definitely one of the great ones. If i was to do it again the only thing i would change is the number of panels, would definitely go for more.
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This is not related to congestion pricing, but I agree. PV systems are a no brainer in conjunction with EVs. My parents got a 2.8 kW system installed at their home, and the i3 gets charged at night when electricity is $.11/kWh and electricity is sold back to the grid during the day at $.30/kWh. TOU pricing FTW. Our breakeven point was about 7 years. The panels are supposed to be warranteed for 30 years.
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You not paying fair taxes and using loopholes build in the tax code. 