... 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?