Hugh Joyce, a contractor in Richmond, Va., owns three plug-in cars, and like many green-car evangelists, he’s unabashed about his love for them—especially his new $80,000 Tesla Model S. It’s “the most important vehicle since the Model T,” he says. “It’s the first electric car with a significant range, which is 300 miles, the sex appeal of a Ferrari, the purchase price of an average luxury vehicle that’s a joy to drive.”
Joyce is about to pay more for his joy. Virginia will soon charge him and other green-car owners $64 a year to make up for lost gas tax revenue. The fee is “insignificant” compared with what drivers buying unleaded have to spend on fuel taxes, he says. But “on the flip side,” Joyce adds, “it is certainly a bad idea to disincentivize that car.”
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