Featured Wisconsin yet again moving to add a special tax for Prius hybrids and plug ins

Only fair if everyone drove 12000 miles a year, or every car paid a minimum equal to the 25mpg car doing 12000 miles.

As long as your heavier vehicles refer to commercial sized ones, I agree. A Sienna is only going to do a tiny bit more wear to the road surface than a Spark, neither are heavy enough to damage the road bed underneath. Then winters will likely damage the road faster than car traffic.

Hovercraft just suck down the fuel though

The federal fuel tax is flat. Inflation alone means road maintenance costs have outstripped the incoming revenue. Efficient use stretches a buck, but it can only do some much.

 

But the state tax isn't fixed.

 

Won't that depend on the state.

 

Isn't that what this thread's about, the state?

 

Actually the gas tax is Fixed Rate per gallon and has not been adjusted to inflation since automatic inflation indexing was repealed in 2006.

Currently the flat Wi state tax on a 30.9 cents plus 2 cents for a natural resources fund.

Other DOT service fees have been raised at various times since then.

 

What I'm saying is that the state legislators can change it to what they want, like they did in NJ.

 

If the lowest bid to repair a road is X, a government that is efficient with its money can't make the less than X funds it has equal X.

And Pa, but they rather make political hay there by punishing a minority not of their base, and not actually solve their issue.

 

You misunderstand me. My post in question was based on the assumption that the state's budget for road maintenance and repair was exceeded by their road repair costs and they wanted a new or additional revenue stream to help them pay for road work. It was also based on the assumption that a long-term solution to revenue generation should be energy-agnostic, so no one feels they are discriminated against.

As a result, I believe the best way to increase revenue without penalizing people for owning a certain type of vehicle (gas, hybrid, electric, hydrogen, whatever) is by creating a tollway. Those who choose to use it will pay sufficient money to pay for road upkeep. Those who choose to take alternate routes have that option. And there is no discrimination against any type of car driven.

The law that passed is highly discriminatory against hybrid and electric car owners. It makes no sense financially and only serves to punish people with more efficient vehicles for political reasons.

 

with the new electronic tolls, it's a very smooth and efficient system.

 

Sounds nuts. I would like to see Fed Govt withhold highway dollars to states that penalize hybrids.
If they go to fair alternate system like per mile for all OK, but punitively slamming hybrids/stops start is nuts.

 

Amazing how, R legislators Hide there tax increases behind Fees and Surcharges. But won’t increase the road use gas tax to adjust for inflation.

An $.08 gas tax increase would cost a driver that averages 12,000 mi per with a vehicle that averages 30 mpg combined. $32 per year increase.
45 mpg = $21.30

 

Death of the hybrid in WI.

 

Not really. The reality is, you’re still saving money by not purchasing the extra gas of a less efficient vehicle. I don’t know any Prius Owners wanting to trade for gas guzzler pickups and SUV’s. The death of the hybrid will be because of the move to BEV’s. Toyota has seen a huge drop in demand for the Prius product line in the last 3 years. The number one reason is the Tesla Model 3.

 

I’ve got news for you. That collector plate could be very expensive for you in the short term.




$185 x 2 = $370 + $50 = $420

This assumes the extra $100 per year penalty fee added to your base registration fee at $85 pee year.

 

The Prius' decline is US sales started before the Model 3 even arrived. The overall hybrid segment had shrunk in relation to new car sales withe cheaper fuel, and there are more hybrid choices, including from Toyota.