Poll: State mulls pay-by-mile gas tax in response to fuel-efficient cars

Major Attitude · Dec 8, 2012

Have to admit I saw this once coming. Washington state is considering taxing people by the mile. As you may or may not know, the federal government is requiring all car companies to have an average of 54.5 mpg in their lineup by 2025. This is another argument considering many cars sitting on dealer lots are currently in the 20-30 mpg range and 2025 isn’t that far away but I digress. According to Washington drivers are spending less at the pump and they are blaming fuel efficient vehicles; not the cost of fuel which is at an average of $3.419 as of today in their state.

Entire article + poll to vote:

http://www.pedaltothemetal.com/inde...onse_to_fuel_efficient_cars.html#.UMM_K3cZmjZ

DavidGP · Dec 8, 2012

UK Gov have in the past considered this and TBH its a vote looser for any Gov, the motorist is heavily taxed already in the UK, with Road Tax and Petrol duty being a massive cost to running a car.

Don't know if US have a road tax, which is basically a tax on you actually owning a car, the level of tax depends on the level of carbon the car emits, I pay £190 a year for road tax used to be £250 but I changed car to a smaller engine, hence the lower tax.

So adding a pay by mile tax would cripple the UK motorist.

We do have some toll roads, where to pay to use them to avoid traffic jams.

jimi · Dec 8, 2012

Oregon already does this, not for the family roadster, but for trucks hauling freight. they do allow triples though, to compensate; and those will make you :crap yer drawers driving next to them, when they get a bit of the wobbles.

i live in WA and if you smoke enough you probably won't notice the tax
http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/smoking-red-eyes-009.gif http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/smoking-marijuana-031.gif

Fred_G · Dec 8, 2012

Gubment seems to be a one trick pony. Taxes, we need more 'revenue'. I do wonder what the people who brag about their 'hybrid' car will react if they have to pay by the mile. :-D

gman863 · Dec 8, 2012

Many states already have innovative ways to squeeze more cash out of drivers. In Houston, many of the HOV lanes now allow cars with just one occupant - so long as the car has an EZ-Tag and pays a toll up to $6 one way during rush hour. In addition, most of the major highway improvements or additions are toll roads.

As for taxing by the mile, this is bulls:***t. Smaller cars do not wear out roads as much as trucks do. Most importantly, hybrids generate far less pollution which translates into states having fewer issues with the EPA.

BoredOutOfMyMind · Dec 8, 2012

This will work with the 2014 Black Box requirement for new cars.

I must admit I see also a new trend of "hacking the box."

Also, we hope there is no malware present when you are tooling down the road merrilly..... :foolish

mjnc · Dec 10, 2012

Gas sales are down not so much because cars are more efficient, but because people are trying to spend less and therefore driving less.
Since the recession started, demand is way down.

If states keep trying to raise gasoline sales tax, people are going to raise h**l.

The solution is in reducing road construction and maintenance costs.

The costs for new construction are literally astronomical.
We all pay these outrageously exorbitant costs but we have absolutely no say in how it is done or by whom, so we get gouged.

Fred_G · Dec 10, 2012

No way. Those are shovel ready jobs. Gubment good. You just do what gubment tells you. Gubment good, taxes good.

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Poll: State mulls pay-by-mile gas tax in response to fuel-efficient cars

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