PA to stary an annual “road user fee” to EV owners

[garyd9]

Maryland is nothing without a new way to tax. I don’t have an issue with paying my share but the problem with MD is I’m not quite sure what the $.47/gallon is going towards, it’s not to fix the roads. I drive among other ICE veh a Miata and the potholes on I97 swallow my car and I bottom out on the speed bumps on the on ramps. I don’t get any break for driving a 2200lb car that gets 40mpg. So like the tax this fee will benefit no one.

I used to live in MD. Compared to PA roads, driving in MD is like floating on air.

In PA, they don’t even re-pave bad roads. They do this thing where they spray oil on the road, and then cover it with gravel. It causes all kinds of damage to cars, but doesn't actually FIX anything. Oh, and we have the second highest gas tax in the nation supposedly to maintain the roads.

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[T18C97]

IMHO we should have to pay something for using the roads, but a flat annual fee is not the way. These cars could easily report annual mileage driven to the state and you pay a per mile fee for the annual vehicle fee.

 

[Jimrpa]

The Keystone State is no longer incentivizing EV ownership. The rebate is no more. Now we have to pay a road user fee since we don’t pay a gas tax. It’s a set fee whether you drive one mile or a million miles. We already pay tax on the electricity which is the fuel we use. Twenty nine states charge this fee. PA has the highest fee - and it’s scheduled to increase already. I guess they haven’t heard of climate change.

I never got anything from PA for purchasing an EV. I didn’t get anything from PECO either.
Having to pay a modest road use tax isn’t the worst thing in the world. By the way, at a state gas tax rate of $0.576/gallon, it works out that we are being taxed as if we consumed about 350 gallons. That’s roughly 10K miles per year. I’d wager that most people are driving more than 10K miles per year, so we are coming out ahead of gasoline-powered cars.

 

[Jimrpa]

I used to live in MD. Compared to PA roads, driving in MD is like floating on air.

In PA, they don’t even re-pave bad roads. They do this thing where they spray oil on the road, and then cover it with gravel. It causes all kinds of damage to cars, but doesn't actually FIX anything. Oh, and we have the second highest gas tax in the nation supposedly to maintain the roads.

That’s called “chipping” and it’s only done on very small, infrequently used rural roads.

 

[Jimrpa]

IMHO we should have to pay something for using the roads, but a flat annual fee is not the way. These cars could easily report annual mileage driven to the state and you pay a per mile fee for the annual vehicle fee.

I think collecting an annual fee requires the least overhead and processing. Also, there are those who would complain about having to report their use to the state.

 

[Jimrpa]

so, I am all for incentivizing EV sales.... and I think the Federal subsidies on purchase are about as good as we are going to get. SOME states have additional tax credits on purchase, some with restrictions. In NM for instance, we can (now) get $3k on a new vehicle with MSRP <$50, and $1500 on used one sold at a NM dealership, with purchase price <$25k.

However, I am also for a reasonable and fair annual tax on EVs in lieu of 'gas tax' to maintain roads and bridges.

In states that are not set up with annual inspections where actual miles driven could be verified, the best they can do is assume 'average' miles driven, and set a fee to collect the 'gas tax' revenue as best they can.

$200-$250 per year is probably pretty close for the a vehicle driven around 20,000 miles per year.

I have gone a step further in trying to help State Legislators craft a more 'fair' way to get revenue for roads and bridges..... I propose an annual Inspection statewide to include:
- safety inspection (lights, windsheild, blinkers, horn)
- emissions, and noise at idle, 'blip', and 2000 rpm (for ICE vehicles)
with limits set designed to reduce poor tuning, 'rolling coal',
and 'tuner' exhausts
- weight, and Odometer reading. (to be used to calculate 'use tax')
all new vehicles to be assessed assuming 20,000 miles, and
subsequent years assessed using actual miles driven.

... to me, this would be totally fair regardless of fuel, and inspire what we want; lighter vehicles driven fewer miles.

We already have state safety and emissions inspections in PA. Why would we need more inspections?

 

[Jimrpa]

If you want to add to the math:


Make sure you subtract all the extra taxes you pay on electricity because of your increased usage by charging at home.

Our “fuel,” is already taxed. If they need more tax money for roads because of us buying BEVs, tell the government to repurpose some of the tax money that we already pay on our electric bill.

Consider: taxes on gasoline/diesel are (theoretically) dedicated to road maintenance and upgrade. Taxes on electricity are NOT allocated to road maintenance and upgrades. So far, us EV owners have been getting a “free ride” (not paying anything towards road maintenance and upgrade).

 

[dtbaker61]

We already have state safety and emissions inspections in PA. Why would we need more inspections?

for states that already do safety/emissions inspections, all you'd have to add is reading the ODO to calculate fair registration fee.

 

[Mach1E]

Consider: taxes on gasoline/diesel are (theoretically) dedicated to road maintenance and upgrade. Taxes on electricity are NOT allocated to road maintenance and upgrades. So far, us EV owners have been getting a “free ride” (not paying anything towards road maintenance and upgrade).

That sounds like a government problem not a “me” problem.

We are underpaying gasoline taxes and OVERPAYING our share of electricity taxes.

Like I said in the post you quoted, “tell the government to repurpose some of the tax money that we already pay on our electric bill.”

That would seem fair to me. We pay taxes on our fuel (electricity) already. Why should we have to pay extra taxes on a product we don’t use.

That would be like charging non-smokers a flat fee each year because they aren’t paying cigarette taxes.

 

[ack154]

IMHO we should have to pay something for using the roads, but a flat annual fee is not the way. These cars could easily report annual mileage driven to the state and you pay a per mile fee for the annual vehicle fee.

Maybe we're different here... but I don't want my car reporting anything directly to the state on its own. This type of data can easily be collected during annual vehicle inspections instead (they already basically do in NY anyway).

That’s called “chipping” and it’s only done on very small, infrequently used rural roads.

While I agree that's not exactly something that's done on major highways or anything like that, in the years that I lived in PA, it was a bit more than "very small, infrequently used rural roads". There are a lot of "major" state roads that would get this treatment in northern/northeastern PA all the time. Yes, still more rural than metro areas, but not necessarily like, dirt road rural - like where I grew up.

We already have state safety and emissions inspections in PA. Why would we need more inspections?

I think his point here would just be that it be incorporated into the state inspection (if there already is one).

 

[lindseybp]

I live in Ohio and have had to pay $200 additional annually because I have an ev. Stinks.

 

[dtbaker61]

Consider: taxes on gasoline/diesel are (theoretically) dedicated to road maintenance and upgrade. Taxes on electricity are NOT allocated to road maintenance and upgrades. So far, us EV owners have been getting a “free ride” (not paying anything towards road maintenance and upgrade).

except in places like PA and others that attempt to calculate a 'equivalent' flat tax for EVs based on average miles rather than actual weight and miles.

I think it's important to include both metrics in the future to inspire good behavior from the general market. If it costs individuals less to drive smaller, lighter vehicles fewer miles.... they will ask for smaller, lighter vehicles.

If it cost less to insure and repair simpler vehicles without cameras and sensors and infotainment features... then that's what *most* of the market will buy. The bells and whistles are great for high-end trims for people that WANT it, but lower-middle trims need to be available to keep sales volume up.

 

[dtbaker61]

I live in Ohio and have had to pay $200 additional annually because I have an ev. Stinks.

$200/yr is probably pretty close to what you would pay in state gas tax IF you drive 15,000-20,000 miles per year ?

 

[ack154]

$200/yr is probably pretty close to what you would pay in state gas tax IF you drive 15,000-20,000 miles per year ?

I just calculated 18k/yr, 30 MPG, at NY's gas tax rate ($0.333/gal) and it is almost exactly $200. Though, we don't have this in NY anyway, but that's about what I'd expect it to be - and I'd be OK if they eventually add it (I'd be pissed about it when I make the payment, but I totally get it).

 

[Rt1AWD]

If you don't want to pay that tax, then just buy a gas car. What is the problem

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