Another reason to hate electric vehicles?

[sajohnson]

@sajohnson, all well said and I do not disagree with any of your points/arguments.

warning: what follows is not a political rant but actually a wallet rant … but reader beware!

One thing I will mention or expand upon, is the political aspect of determining winners and losers, and one big reason I’m moving away from ICE. I live in Illinois and the gas tax is getting insane. They doubled it a few years ago when I was CFO at Illinois Agriculture and now have a regular annual increase. I’m going from memory (too lazy to look up) and it made me so mad and if my in head calcs are right, we’re at about 60 cents a gallon.

Now, will I make that up with a PHEV or EV? I neither know or care but I get a weird satisfaction not paying another Illinois tax.

At $0.67/gallon, Illinois motor fuel taxes are the 2nd highest in the country, only California is higher (by about 3 cents/gallon).

The federal portion is 18.4 cents, states average 32.6 cents, for a total of about $0.51/gallon average.

Our roads have to be paid for somehow. Historically, the funds have always come primarily from the fuel tax (with some from the general fund).

The federal portion has not been raised since about 1992! $1 in 1992 is the equivalent of $2.29 today.

In the D.C. area (and others) the politicians are throwing up their hands and saying that they do not have the funds to widen I-270 and the Beltway, and replace bridges, etc. Their solution? Give the rights-of-way to an Australian corporation (Trans Urban) and let them build Lexus (aka "HOT") lanes and charge exorbitant tolls. The *average* toll is so high that a round-trip from Frederick (I-70) to the Beltway and back is projected to cost ~$120!!

If the fuel tax was doubled it would increase by about 50 cents per gallon (on average). For a BS getting 25 mpg that's an additional $0.02 per mile. The average operation cost for a new vehicle (first 5 years) is about $0.60/mile.

Bottom line -- the gubmint is gonna get the money one way or another. The fuel tax is a MUCH better deal than tolls.

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