Idaho implemented a similar fee on plug-in hybrids ($75) and electric vehicles ($140) about 3 years ago.
The EV fee is about the equivalent of driving 13,000 miles at 30 mpg. I drive enough in my EV to cover that, but I suspect that many drivers don't Mike > On October 15, 2018 at 9:03 AM Robert Bruninga via EV <[email protected] > mailto:[email protected] > wrote: > > > It IS fair to add a road tax to EVs who have been getting a free ride on > the > roads... > While protecting the environment... > > *BUT ONLY IF* they also add an environmental tax on ICEs who have been > getting a free ride on the environment! > > See: http://aprs.org/EV-and-gas-taxes.html > > > -----Original Message----- > From: EV <[email protected] mailto:[email protected] > On > Behalf Of brucedp5 via EV > Sent: Monday, October 15, 2018 2:12 AM > To: [email protected] mailto:[email protected] > Cc: brucedp5 <[email protected] mailto:[email protected] > > Subject: [EVDL] EVtax: $150yr> unfair, punitive, nil-revenue, EVs= > easy-target > > > > [ref > > http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVtax-150yr-75yr-for-pih-hevs-in-MS-v-tp4691385.html > ] > > http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=69145 > An unfair tax?: Drivers take issue with hybrid/electric car fees; > lawmakers > claim they are reasonable in face of road, bridge crisis October 13, 2018 > Slim Smith > > [image] Julie Carpenter of Columbus stands with the Toyota hybrid she has > owned for two years. She learned last month she must pay an additional $75 > annual fee to the state for owning the car to help fund an Emergency Road > and Bridge measure the Legislature passed in the August special session. > Owners of fully electric vehicles will pay $150 each year. Photo by: Chris > Jenkins/Special to The Dispatch > > When Mike Buehler received a notice from the Mississippi Department of > Revenue a week ago that he would be required to pay a fee for driving his > 2014 Tesla each year, he bit his lip and did a little research before > forming an opinion. > > The verdict? > "It's unfair," the Starkville radiologist said. > > That opinion is likely shared by many of the 15,281 people who received > similar notices last week informing them of the new fees assessed to > drivers > of electric and hybrid cars. For hybrids that use both fuel and electric > power, the fee is $75 annually. For electric cars that use no fuel, it's > $150. > > Owners of hybrid or electric cars will pay the fees at their county tax > collector's office each year when they renew their license plate tag. > > Unlike tag renewal fees, which go to fund city and county governments and > local schools, all of the fees from the hybrid/electric car tax will go to > the state's Emergency Road and Bridge Fund, which the Legislature > established during a special session in August. The fees were included > with > that legislation. > > The measure earned near unanimous support, passing 110-4 in the House and > 48-3 in the Senate. Every member of the Golden Triangle's legislative > delegation favored the bill. > > "I did receive some emails and text messages expressing dissatisfaction > with > the fees, but given the dire needs of our roads and bridges, the fees seem > reasonable to me," said state Sen. Angela Turner Ford (D-West Point). > > Hybrid/electric car fees will make up a minute portion of the Emergency > Road > and Bridge Fund, which lawmakers hope will produce an extra $110 million > for > the state's roads and bridges each year. The bulk of that will come from > bonded debt and revenue from a state lottery -- both of which also passed > during the special session. > > The new fund will supplement road and bridge money the state already > receives from an 18-percent fuel tax drivers in the state pay at the pump. > The hybrid/electric fees served as an alternative to increasing the fuel > tax. > > "I'll be honest, some of these hybrids get such good gas mileage that > something was needed for them to pay their fair share," said state Sen. > Chuck Younger (R-Columbus). "My preference all along was to raise the fuel > tax, so really, as far as this part of it went, I could take it or leave > it. > I think it's fair. Overall, we had to get something done and I don't think > anybody was going to let the (hybrid/electric fee) get in the way of > that." > > 'It's definitely punitive' > > Although the legislation was passed in August, many of those affected by > the > fees weren't aware until they received their notice from the Department of > Revenue in September. > > Columbus Realtor Julie Carpenter was among that group. > > "I had no idea," said Carpenter, who has been driving her Toyota hybrid > for > two years. "I was shocked that I was going to be taxed for trying to be > environmentally friendly. I hope they don't find out I'm buying broccoli > and > cauliflower and spinach. I might get taxed for trying to eat healthy, > too." > > Buehler said while he understands the stated purpose of the fee -- to > ensure > that hybrid and electric car drivers pay their share for maintaining roads > and bridges -- he feels it is too high for those who drive electric cars. > > "I understand that electric car drivers don't pay the fuel tax that other > people pay," Buehler said. "So I wanted to do the numbers and see what > they > told me." > > Buehler estimated that his 2014 Tesla, if converted to gasoline, would > average 50 miles per gallon. Based on his driving habits, he said he > drives > 12,000 miles per year, which would be 240 gallons per year. The state's > 18.2 > percent fuel tax would mean he would pay $43.68 in fuel taxes. > > "But instead of that, I'll be paying $150 a year," Buehler said. "That's > about $100 more than I would pay if I were driving a gasoline car. It's > definitely punitive." > > Carpenter agrees. > > "I don't think people should be punished for trying to be fuel efficient," > she said. "I drive a lot, so for me, buying a hybrid was a way to save > money. But the other part is that I did want to be environmentally > friendly. > I don't feel like the state should be discouraging that. I'm > disappointed." > > 'Not enough revenue to make much of a difference' > > Buehler said he wonders why hybrid and electric car owners were singled > out > in the special session, especially when Kathy Waterbury, associate > commissioner for the Mississippi Department of Revenue, said the > hybrid/electric car fees will produce a little more than $1 million in > revenue annually. > > "That's not even 1 percent of the funding they set up," Buehler said. "I > don't understand how this even came up." > > He's not alone. > > State Rep. Jeff Smith (R-Columbus) chairs the House Ways and Means > Committee > that helps tailor funding bills as they pass through the Legislature. > > In the case of the hybrid/electric fees, Smith said, Gov. Phil Bryant was > adamant they be part of the Emergency Road and Bridge Fund bill. > > "Normally, any bill that comes through my committee, I've had some hand in > putting together," Smith said. "It wasn't that way with this bill. Gov. > Bryant, the speaker (of the House Phillip Gunn) and the lieutenant > governor > (Tate Reeves) put this bill together and gave it to us at the start of the > special session. > > "I hadn't heard anybody talking about that idea," he added. "It was > totally > the governor's idea. I love the governor to death, but I'm not sure why he > wanted these fees. It doesn't really raise enough revenue to make much of > a > difference." > > Smith said Bryant originally wanted the state to charge $150 for hybrids > and > $300 for electric cars. > > "We did get him to come off that number, but something else that we failed > to do was provide an exemption for disabled veterans, which is what we do > for regular license fees," Smith said. "That's something we'll have to fix > in January." > > Buehler said he believes the fees only reinforce the state's reluctance to > support alternate forms of energy, noting that Mississippi rarely offers > incentives for solar, wind and other emerging forms of energy. > > "Let's face it, we're a small group of people who own electric cars, so > we're a pretty easy target," he said. "There's not much of anything we can > do about it. I think they know that." > [© cdispatch.com] > > > > > For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: > http://evdl.org/archive/ > > > {brucedp.neocities.org} > > -- > Sent from: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/ > _______________________________________________ > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA > (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > _______________________________________________ > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA > (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
