Have a California EV? Be prepared to PAY!

[GetOffYourGas]

CA already knows how much it's trucks weigh and they know trucks cause the most of the road damage. I would expect these costs to be distributed equally given that this weight data is already known to the DMV.

It isn't as simple as distributing the cost equally by weight. Changes like that have cause & effect. Look around...most everything around you, and what you consume was delivered by truck (including our EV's). Do you want to pay $8/pound for bananas and $40 for a bag of coffee? Freight companies won't simply absorb the cost of a substantial tax increase - it will be passed on to you and me.

If the wear that trucks cause is so expensive as to rise freight rates to make $40 coffee, then you will pay it one way or the other. Either with $40 coffee, or by paying taxes to fix the roads for the trucks. There is no free lunch, or free roads. Someone has to pay.

If it really does $40 in damage to move a bag of coffee, I doubt it, but it if did, it would be best put the cost on the activity doing the wear/damage so we see the real cost of the goods in the stores.

Right. And if trucks really paid their fair share, who knows - maybe rail would see a resurgence. It's time that we apply external costs to those who are causing them. Then and only then will the market pick the best solution.

 

[SeanNelson]

...Do you want to pay $8/pound for bananas and $40 for a bag of coffee? Freight companies won't simply absorb the cost of a substantial tax increase - it will be passed on to you and me.

...If it really does $40 in damage to move a bag of coffee, I doubt it, but it if did, it would be best put the cost on the activity doing the wear/damage so we see the real cost of the goods in the stores.

Right. And if trucks really paid their fair share, who knows - maybe rail would see a resurgence...

Not to mention the concept of "buy locally" would be backed by an economic reason to do so.

 

[oilerlord]

There is no free lunch, or free roads. Someone has to pay.

Goes to my point about the OP's thread. Some EV owners believe they should be exempt from paying road taxes, while enjoying the privilege of using those roads. I'm not one of them.