Re: Washington's Carbon Tax
Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2023 2:20 pm
RiverDog wrote:I'm no electrician, but it would seem to me that it would be rather easy to bypass a charging meter at home or install a charger w/o a meter.
Transponders would be darn tough to defeat as every cop would know when a car wasn't being tracked by GPS. The big issue with GPS would be privacy and security as it obviously has to be internet based.
They are already assessing an additional charge for EV's on license registrations, but in order for it to be fair, they need to have some sort of tax based on highway usage. Even the gas tax isn't fair as it doesn't measure mileage and people that can afford the modern, fuel-efficient cars end up paying fewer taxes than those that have to drive a 20-year-old vehicle.
Aseahawkfan wrote:The easiest and least invasive method is increase the tax on all electricity.
I'm not sure what is the difference between a transponder and the onboard computer most EVs have at this point. I'm not sure why they would need to use a lower tech transponder when they can check your car's computer system when it's plugged in and get the info they need.
EVs are very advanced. Almost all come with an onboard computer capable of loading and operating self-driving or advanced cruise control software. They can monitor all energy systems and charging history. Be pretty easy to pull that information and make sure the bill applies to whoever used it.
I haven't seen this issue brought up as concern. The main concerns are what method to use, not the difficulty of applying the method. The onboard computer and tracking software is all very advanced and easy to tie to the owner of the car. That shouldn't be a problem at all.
I'm sure you're right. The problem isn't the technical aspect, it's overcoming the "Big Brother" fear of government intrusion into our everyday lives and convinced that it's secure. But whatever they come up with, they need a tax or fee based on highway usage. There's too much variance in people's driving habits for them just to levy a general tax on electrical usage.
Aseahawkfan wrote:You should check out some of the modern EV vehicles. They are amazing. Tesla's can park themselves and you can have them come and meet at the front of a store with your key fob equivalent. They can self-drive a bit and have a full onboard computer that can load powerful self-driving software, monitor all your systems, notify if anyone is too close, and deliver all types of information. It's some real movie spaced aged tech. That's why I think EV adoption is going to continue to occur because the tech is so good that people will want them regardless of the environmental benefits. They're just great vehicles at this point. If you can afford one and have enough charging around, you should get one. Amazing advancement in vehicle design.
I have. A friend of mine owns a Tesla and they're fantastic cars. As you said, they're nearly autonomous. The next car I buy is likely to be an EV as we don't take a lot of long trips in the car.