A new road charge mooted for electric vehicle drivers is based on a fundamental misconception.

A specific road use tax on EVs and hybrids makes no sense.

Given the harms caused by traditional vehicles, society should welcome the decline in fuel excise revenue caused by the transition to EVs – in the same way we should welcome declining revenue from cigarette taxes.

Vehicle registration fees make only a modest contribution to road costs. That’s why all motorists should pay a road-user charge. The payment should be based on a combination of vehicle mass and distance travelled

  • Hirom@beehaw.orgEnglish
    4·
    3 days ago

    That make sense.

    Also, an hybrid vehicle may pollute more if it’s never recharged and only use gas. Or less if it’s frequently recharged.

    So an added benefit of that change would be to get rid of an automatic insentive for hybrid. Taxing gas and fossil fuel is a more direct and efficient insentive. If gas cost more, hybrid owners will recharge more often.

    • Geobloke@aussie.zoneEnglish
      4·
      3 days ago

      Fuel excise makes sense, the more fuel you use the more you’ve probably driven, the more damage you’ve contributed to the road. How to make it fair for EV users with out invading individual privacy is harder. Like what should a commuter pay compared to a courier who would do far more kms and relies on the road for the business?

      It’s going to be unpopular, but as a car lover, I’m happy to pay a carbon tax to keep driving gas guzzlers and have that reinvested into carbon neutrality, whether that’s EV subsidies or something else work a better carbon return

      • Hirom@beehaw.orgEnglish
        1·
        3 days ago

        If a commuter and or courrier drive the same distance on the same road with a similar car, they should contribute the same road toll for maintenance.

        A courier should be able to deduct the toll from his income, counting it as a business expense. So it’s a bit less of a burden for profesionnals who depend on their vehicle.

        There already are mechanisms for this. No need to complicate further.

          • Hirom@beehaw.orgEnglish
            2·
            3 days ago

            The article has some suggestions

            The payment should be based on a combination of vehicle mass and distance travelled. That’s because damage to roads is overwhelmingly caused by heavy vehicles.

            • Geobloke@aussie.zoneEnglish
              1·
              3 days ago

              My biggest problem with that is the distance; either the licencing authority has access to our cars position or we self report it. Neither are great options in my opinion

              • Joshi@slrpnk.netOPEnglish
                1·
                1 day ago

                I wondered about this also, FWIW my solution would be self reporting verified at the time of vehicle sale or end of vehicle life. I believe some states require periodic roadworthy checks which would also be an opportunity for verification.

                Real time vehicle tracking is obviously unacceptable.

              • No1@aussie.zoneEnglish
                2·
                2 days ago

                It could be reported each time the car is serviced or at registration time. Seems to happen in the US like that sometimes.

                If people misreport it, it would be caught when they try to sell the vehicle. Eg, if I report 5K per year, but actually do 20K, then if I try to sell it in 5 years time, and it shows 25K on the Registration info, but 100K on the odo, then I’m not buying that car lol

                But, of course, they’ll go for the “track your car at all times” option. An app that you must operate and sends real time GPS info would be their wet dream. Or they could just take the Maps data you send directly from Apple and Google lol

                As an aside, insurance companies would love this too. You were speeding by 3km/h? Your insurance premium has just jumped by 20%.

                • Geobloke@aussie.zoneEnglish
                  2·
                  2 days ago

                  Good point, I hadn’t thought of a car rego declaration. Servicing seems like not the best idea as it would make life harder for poor people, who might stretch out servicing and would probably do it more if there was an additional cost at that point.

                  I’m scared that continually tracking your car will be the default option though. Best argument against it is to argue that it would put victims of domestic violence at further risk

              • Hirom@beehaw.orgEnglish
                1·
                2 days ago

                Have you heard of toolbooths?

                There are variations that require neither self reporting nor tracking cars. Grab a ticket uppon entering the highway. Feed the ticket in the exit booth and pay with cash or credit card. The machine uses the ticket to compute the distance.

                • Geobloke@aussie.zoneEnglish
                  1·
                  2 days ago

                  Well yeah, but most of my driving is around the suburbs or the small country roads near my house, no complaints I guess, but i wouldn’t be paying my fair share of road use.

                  Plus to cover the full road network seems like a huge expense. I mean you could fund it using a carbon tax, but I feel like paying for tollboths is not good bang for buck in carbon abatement

                  • Hirom@beehaw.orgEnglish
                    1·
                    2 days ago

                    I’m unaware of any country that setup a road toll infrastructure on small road, tollbooth or otherwise.

                    This is only for highways and major roads.