Monday, January 13, 2014

States turn against electric cars as gas tax revenues fall | The Daily Caller

File this under "Unintended Consequences." It really comes down to whether states want to be a catalyst for the transfer to non-fossil fuel burning vehicles and can make up the money lost from gas sales from other sources. There are still benefits issued by state and federal governments - like travel in the HOV lane. And we have to consider the fuel sources of the power plants that create the electricity to charge the electric vehicles. Click title for link. From the article:
“States are increasingly looking at how to recoup ‘lost’ gas tax revenues for electric and hybrid vehicles. In addition to fees on such vehicles, many states tax alternative fuels, sometimes including electricity,” Jaime Rall, senior transportation policy specialist at the National Conference of State Legislatures, told The Daily Caller News Foundation in an email.
The problem state lawmakers face is that the value of the gas tax is falling due to inflation and rising construction costs. This is coupled with the fact that gasoline consumption is falling. According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. drivers and businesses used about 133 billion gallons which is 6 percent below 2007’s record-high consumption levels.