... yikes!

Were the BEVs not paying that fee during the time the HEVs were? Otherwise, it sounds like they were both being disincentivized. In Pa, the PHEV fee is 4 to 5 times less than that for BEVs. The BEV fee is comparable to state gas taxes on a car getting maybe 30mpg. Most PHEVs do better than that, and can offset much of the gas spending with electricity. Under the original law of paying fuel taxes for the electricity used, a PHEV would have paid more than a BEV since many are less efficient in EV mode.

Other places do give rebates and other incentives to PHEVs. Giving PHEVs incentives though is tricky, as the reason for getting more on the road is to reduce gasoline use, and a PHEV doesn't have to be plugged in. Some people will buy a PHEV for the incentive with no intention to plug in. People in California bought the PiP for HOV access.

Then there is the case in Europe. They gave businesses tax credits to buy PHEVs. The businesses bought PHEVs, and gave them to employees that couldn't charge. If the employee could charge it, the business wouldn't cover the charging fees, but would pay for gas or diesel. After this incentive went into effect, Europe's fleet carbon emissions actually went up. The popular PHEV models were mostly power hybrids, that did no better or worse than the ICE model when using the engine.

Policies excluding PHEVs aren't excluding them as a solution, but because designing a policy for them that prevents the policy purpose from being undermined by ignorant and bad actors is hard.

 

Now Virginia is even stranger. If your vehicle is EPA rated at more than 25 mpg, there is a highway use fee based off the rating added to your vehicle registration. In other words, they are incentivizing driving the federally defined clunkers. Remember cash c=for clunkers to get 25 mpg & below off the road? What they could or should do ts set the limit to the CAFE standard and raise the gasoline tax to get the extra revenue for highway maintenance. That way out of state visitors would pay more of their fair share of roadway wear & tear,

 

at least they are not discriminating against hybrids

 

If you give your information away to a private company, they have a mileage based alternative but you are then paying for any out of state miles while visitors literally ger a "free ride". The spineless state government is allergic to the blowback from raising the gasoline tax.

 

Same in MA. They actually rolled it back one time after all the whining

 

I have seen abandoned highways that are ruined after they were used.

 

I think the problem was that several years ago there was a maky public outcry after the governor raised the gasoline tax. This "fee" is not a tax and, unfortunately, they put the 25 mpg number directly into the law and it was too low back then. My guess is they calculated that was the number they needed for road maintenance to avoid raising the tax.

 

My disappointment here is that we didn't move to per mile fees. We already have annual inspections to read the odometer. PaDOT even recommended it.

 

I agree on per mile fee...however...are the powers that be willing to give up gas taxes at the local, State and Federal levels?

 

With per mile fees based on odometer readings would mean also paying for out of state miles and those from outside using your roads pay nothing towards the road wear they cause, even if they commute from out of state for work. That is where a fuel tax more fairly distributes the costs.

My disappointment with VDOT in Virginia is low mileage citizens can give their information to a third party to pay less but you still need an annual photo to "true up". they say they do not use GPS to differentiate in state vs out of state miles driven. We also have annual inspections with odometer readings, but I guess they cannot get third party kickbacks from that.

When I bought my new Camry with new tags, the dealer collected the normal fee and said VDOT would bill for the highway use fee. I got my title from them, but no bill. Online only mentions paying the fee at registration renewal.

 

What percentage of the population is driving out of state, and what portion of their annual miles are when they do?

Paying taxes on miles out of state has a degree of unfairness. Is it fair to Delaware, Maryland, and North Carolina when I only fill up in Pennsylvania and Virginia on my trips to the parents? Is it fair when residents cross the state border to fill up with lower taxed fuel? Is it fair to the majority of individuals that can't deduct the road tax on fuel for power equipment?

The solution to this out of miles unfairness is GPS tracking. Which lets another entity track your whereabouts, one which takes its cut of the revenue for profit before the state gets it, and becomes another source for personal info to be compromised in a data breach. It also adds a potentially battery draining piece of equipment to the car.

This out of state miles argument sounds more like it is put forward by those wanting to resist change or will profit from the GPS method. That doesn't mean an optional miles tracking system can be included for those that do drive out of state a lot. Detailed record keeping of such miles by the tax payer should be fine for those in which it is a real issue.

Fuel tax and mileage tax does not have to be an either or choice. Some level of fuel tax can remain, while setting the mileage rate with that amount in mind.

 

Tourism is a huge business for many regions in Virginia. I expect most people driving to Washington DC drive through Virginia to get there too.In addition to amusement parks, there are historical sites like Colonial Williamsburg, Appomattox Courthouse, & the D-Day Memorial.

 

I wouldn’t mind paying for out of state miles, even though it’s more than in state.
Across the board, mileage based tax is the most fair system that I have seen.
I’m driving on other states roads, and others are driving on my state’s roads, they all need maintenance and repair

 

Some tourist areas do have extra sales taxes and such if that is a concern.

Some of those people driving through aren't going to buy any gas in Virginia. The state won't get any money from them for the use of the roads. Toll roads are to only sure way of getting road use fees from out of state travelers.

The federal gas tax is the one that really needs to increase.

 

Mileage based can accommodate fed and state

 

When the state is already collecting mileage information, they should not get a third party involved to redundantly collect the same information,

 

agreed. they can just share it with the fed