Video- CNBC.com They rightly point out that SUVs are (stupidly) exempt from the gas guzzler tax. However, it's bigger than that, all "light trucks" (SUVs, minivans, pickups and some vans) are exempt. Even worse monstrosities like Hummer H1s, H2, Ford Excursions and Ford Expedition ELs are also exempt and are also (currently) exempt from EPA fuel economy testing and counting against an automaker's CAFE numbers due to their >8500 lb. GVWR.
They also beat and imprison journalists that report what the gvernment doesn't want. Should we do that too? At least it would keep Dan Rather in line!
I just returned from a 1.5 week trip to China. It was my first trip there and I went to Shanghai, Beijing and the Great Wall. I will say that there are almost NO monstrosity class (curb weight of 5000+ lbs.) SUVs like Tahoes, Expeditions, Escalades, etc. there. There are small minivans but it was mostly passenger cars. I did see a single Hummer H2 (siting idling in a parking lot, no less) and a single H3. I never saw a single Prius. Almost all taxis in Beijing were Hyundais (Elantras IIRC). Almost all taxis in Shanghai were VW Santana 3000s. Apparently, they're based upon an ancient Passat design that seems to have diverged (Volkswagen Passat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). In one of the Shanghai taxis, I noticed his gas gauge was pointing to empty and the driver said something about his car not using gas but my Chinese is poor and I figured he meant natural gas. Later, I rode in some that had an LPG light turned on and had a tiny trunk (I think some space was taken up for the LPG tank). I looked up LPG and found Liquefied petroleum gas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Interesting... On a side note, the drivers in Beijing and Shanghai are insane. Driving there is just nuts compared to the US (at least the West Coast) and crossing the street can be quite a hazard. I'd say driving there would be worse than NYC.
cwerdna, I am in Kunming on SW China. I agree that the driving style has two unusual aspects - agressive or careless actions, and calm acceptance of other drivers doing just about 'anything'. I see quite a few SUVs and larger here, but most cars are quite small. Overall a bimodal distribution. The Chinese vehicle tax was recently changed - increased for engines above 1.5 L and decreased for smaller engines. The 1.5 l size was left alone. The month before the change there was an increase in large vehicle sales, to avoi dthe tax increase. Now they are reported to be lower. Other than driving style, the 2 aspects I think are most notable are the large number of electric scooters, and the size of the loads that people routinely pedal power on 3 wheel carts.
I think they just need to increase the tax on gasoline and diesel used for personal vehicles. Give a tax increase schedule that would allow people to switch over to more efficient cars, somthing like a 50 cent increase per year until the tax is around $4/gallon. Use that to pay off the cost of the war.
It's not always necessary to punish people to get them to act a certain way. I would recommend that cars with a certain engine size or curb weight or mileage or emissions rating be tax-free.
A tax on new gas guzzlers makes sense, to drive the soccer moms into smaller cars. There also has to be more rigid standards on defining a commercial vehicle. You can't put "commercial" trucks and SUVs in everybody's driveway. That's not the point. SUVs are obviously not commercial. Many vans are commercial. It is not the vehicle itself which should define "commercial." It is how the vehicle is used.
Taxing is the solution to everything in a tree huggers mind..... Hell, Give your whole paycheck to the gooberment why don't you.... It won't happen here. This is America and if a person decides to drive a truck or SUV that is there FREE will.
Does that also give them the FREE will to try and intimidate other drivers off the road ahead of them, while burning as much fuel as they want and help hasten the downward spiral? Does that kind of rudeness make them better Americans somehow? . Get your priorities straight. . _H*
Hi All, Welp. Its this damn loophole thing that is a problem. They should tax ALL vehicles worse than 21 mpg the same way. That means a guzzler tax for future SUV purchases, per the present law on cars. Plain, simple, and nobody is getting cheated. If anything, its undoing cheating that has been going on for 15 years.
New in the Chinese media yesterday : a tax on fuels. This has been under consideration for a while, but current low crude oil prices make it look like a good time for starting.
Sigh... at the expense of everyone else who is consuming a limited, non-renewable resource, 60% of which we import. From the stats I've seen, during the old crises in the 70s, we only imported ~35% of our oil. Look what happened then. Even if the "tree huggers" are wrong about global warming, there's the above, the pollution aspect and safety of other drivers. It's apparent to me that the majority of those who drive 5000+ lb. curb weight monstrosities like Tahoes, Escalades, Expeditions and Navigators clearly don't care about safety of other drivers. It makes no sense that buyers of very high performance sports cars or ultra high-end luxury cars get hit w/the gas guzzler tax when they make up a TINY fraction of auto sales whereas "light trucks" that make up 50% of US are exempt. A large # of those along w/monstrosities that are so heavy that they aren't even "light trucks" anymore (like most models of Navigator and Hummer H2) would get hit if they weren't exempt. +1
Do you think the Chinese implemented this tax to slow consumption? or maybe to discourage the importing of vehicles without raising "red" flags at the WTO. The larger the vehicle the less chance it was made in China. When the Chinese manufacturers get around to making SUV's i predict the Chinese will suddenly repeal the taxes on larger vehicles. If you disagree, tell me what you think the motivation is? The Chinese are going "green" as they open up a coal-fired power plant every five minutes or whatever the stat is. I give them credit they are experts at manipulating US public opinion. I would be very curious to see how this story was sourced. Probably from the Chinese consulate in NYC or Washington DC. It just goes on and on.........
Actually, Chinese demand for oil has dropped, partly responsible for the falling global oil prices. As far as their pollution issues, I'm happy our trinkety electronics s*** is made there instead of here. I'd sooner have that arsenic and cadmium in their rivers, instead of our rivers, thank you very much I'm also quite happy we ship our obsolete computers over to them for "recycling." I'd rather have the heavy metals in their air, not mine
I feel that if the auto manufactures that produces the gas guzzlers pay the tax or call it a fine, not the consumer. I have a Prius, I also have a Sequoia to pull my trailer that carries my R/C planes to the field. All of my planes are electric using Lipo batteries. So to punish me because I need to tow or carry big objects is wrong. I also feel that if the manufactures are fined then they will get off there duff and build a fuel efficient big truck, SUV, etc....
I am not sure how you would tax the manufacturers and not have them pass that tax onto you as a consumer? I am a much bigger believer in govt using pull tactics(tax credits and the like) than push tactics(tax) to mold consumer behavior.
Take from the CEO's. There is no easy fix for this. I live in Virginia and pay a property car tax every year. On something drops in value like a rock every year but the taxes are still enough to effect the family. We are taxed on June 5th and December 5th. More taxes on cars, I'm completly against it. $600 dollars every six months and right before Christmas really sucks.
Just how big are these R/C planes. Seriously, the idea that one needs a SUV or truck to tow or carry things is just that, a myth. I have personally carried 600lbs of topsoil in my prius and 500 sq ft of wood flooring in my Jetta wagon. In Europe is is common to see what we consider to be small cars towing travel trailers or utility trailers full of wood, dirt, etc. The key is that they put brakes on the trailers. Here is just one example:
Funny, My planes are 8'-10' wingspans. I have about 12-15 planes, flight line equipment, canopy, tables, and chairs. Let's not forget about food and drinks. I have also carried mulch, lumber, and large objects in the Prius. I'm quite proud of the Prius and its ability for large cargo. Oh, forgot to leave a place for my wife and son to sit. There is always a place and a need for trucks.