Comments on: Lobbyists call for taxes for hybrids, fuel-efficient vehicles?!

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 21:55:27 +0000

Don’t panic… they aren’t calling for an end to subsidies for hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles, they just don’t want that money to come from the road fund.

Quote: If the federal government wishes to subsidize the purchase of
hybrid and nonpetroleum-powered vehicles to reduce fuel consumption
and emissions, the subsidies should be provided from the general fund,
as was done for ethanol fuel subsidies, and not from the [Highway and Public Transportation Fund].

By: Gary Morris

Gary Morris — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 05:52:01 +0000

Only in America could this kind of thinking be found. Tax energy efficiency is just the sort of “out of the box” thinking that is driving this country to the train wreck that awaits it in the next 20 – 40 years. If you don’t think we are on a downward spiral, spend a week or two in China. By mid-century they will be eating us for lunch while we debate taxing the sun to subsidize failed fossil-fuel power plants and grotesque SUVs.

By: Rob Renaul

Rob Renaul — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 23:24:55 +0000

This is stupid. So long as we are talking about “impact on highway infrastructure” then HEAVY vehicles should also have significant taxes levied against them, because they cause a lot more damage than lighter vehicles do. In addition, more powerful engines and wider tires, which cause larger amounts of road wear, should have additional levies and taxes imposed upon them. This suggestion that hybrids should be taxed is fine, so long as we also tax other vehicles which cause much much more damage to our infrastructure.

By: Derren

Derren — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:43:08 +0000

Elmo – you may be rigth, but I think its far too soon for something like this. This could negate the benifits of buying a hybrid in the first place.

By: Elmo

Elmo — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 21:56:21 +0000

Makes sense to me. We shouldn’t burden fuel-efficient vehicles unfairly, but if the current revenue model is based on the assumption that fuel consumption is roughly equal to the impact on the highway infrastructure, then hybrids and electrics break the model.

If we invent cars that run on pure water tomorrow, should they be able to use the roads without contributing anything financially?