Senate OKs road tax on electric vehicles - Business - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports
This seems insane to me. Washington State has simultaneously pursued one of best best EV incentives (No Sales Tax) and a psychologically powerful disincentive (a special $100 annual fee for electric vehicles). The former is going to save me almost $6,000 on my Model S purchase while the later is an annoying and somewhat inconsequential annual fee on EVs that could actually do more to harm EV sales than the huge sales tax savings helps.
People in our state go absolutely NUTS when our vehicle tabs go up by even a small amount. An additional $100 annual fee will represent a huge percentage increase on a car's license fee (depending on what part of the state you live in it could actually DOUBLE the cost of your tabs). This could have a profound effect to stifle the adoption of elective vehicles in the future.
I understand that EVs don't pay any gas taxes and therefore will not be contributing to highway repair funds but what about other alternative fuel cars like NATURAL GAS? The taxes on natural gas don't go into highway repair funds and there are far more CNG powered vehicles on the road than elective vehicles.
The proposed $100 annual fee seems very simplistic and short sighted. I'm very disappointed to see this being moved forward toward law.
--Eric
This seems insane to me. Washington State has simultaneously pursued one of best best EV incentives (No Sales Tax) and a psychologically powerful disincentive (a special $100 annual fee for electric vehicles). The former is going to save me almost $6,000 on my Model S purchase while the later is an annoying and somewhat inconsequential annual fee on EVs that could actually do more to harm EV sales than the huge sales tax savings helps.
People in our state go absolutely NUTS when our vehicle tabs go up by even a small amount. An additional $100 annual fee will represent a huge percentage increase on a car's license fee (depending on what part of the state you live in it could actually DOUBLE the cost of your tabs). This could have a profound effect to stifle the adoption of elective vehicles in the future.
I understand that EVs don't pay any gas taxes and therefore will not be contributing to highway repair funds but what about other alternative fuel cars like NATURAL GAS? The taxes on natural gas don't go into highway repair funds and there are far more CNG powered vehicles on the road than elective vehicles.
The proposed $100 annual fee seems very simplistic and short sighted. I'm very disappointed to see this being moved forward toward law.
--Eric
