Are You Ready To Raise Gas Taxes To Promote Electric Car Adoption?

No it's a stupid idea that will only cost people. It will cost people who don't want to waste their money buying a new car by making them spend more on fuel. It will waste people who want to buy a new car by either buying a gasoline one and still spending more on fuel, or by spending even more and getting an electric car. If they do decide to get an electric car it might not cost them directly as it will cost tax payers as they get a $7500 rebate for it.

it's a great idea. what will cost people is doing nothing. U.S. consumes 25% of all world wide oil, 11% of all world wide oil going to private citizens in their daily commutes in USA

this will bankrupt USA in the next 2-3 decades if nothing changes. price of oil will double at some point (5 years? 10 years?). What will happen to the horribly energy inefficient USA at that point?

total collapse. this society is based on cheap oil and people driving a lot. when oil won't be cheap anymore, USA=finished. Unless, of course, we change.

DinamoR, you are one of the few people that actually gets stupider as time goes on.

Let's go with your ideal best case scenario where in the next 5 years the entire population converts over to totally electric or volt spec vehicles.

$7,500*300,000,000ppl*(0.765cars per person)/5years=$344.25 billion a year in government spending in addition to the already skyrocketing budget

The only way this program is going to benefit anyone is if a gas tax is implemented to help ease the burden of a minority of the population that converts over. If the majority does convert those tax dollars are going to have to double or even triple the cost of fuel at which point you are simply forcing people to spend excessive amounts of money if they don't convert and have them also spending excessive amounts of money if they do convert to afford a vehicle that is capable of being qualified for such large rebates. This whole system fights itself.

Next, you are giving the US economy 2-3 decades to become bankrupt? The recession only just started, you cannot extrapolate that far into the future and expect nothing to change. Also, this idea is based on the fact that the more foreign product you purchase the less money a country has. By purchasing brand new electric/hybrid vehicles (so far majorly owned by Japan a foreign company) you counteract a minimal loss to the country of purchasing foreign oil by purchasing a more expensive foreign car... which will drain the money the country has even faster.

DinamoR, I hold hyundaismoke's comments as more valuable to this community then the ignorant trash you spew.

(so far majorly owned by a certain Japanese "foreign company")

Sorry, i don't grow money on trees. Raising gas taxes could resolve the govt problem but i have a fixed salary. where am i supposed to get the extra cash for the gas or the expensive electric car? Also, having a plugin hybrid car is very unpractical where i leave. i park my car on the street, so how am i suppose to recharge my car?

that's only because we have let the chinese LEAPFROG US IN GREEN TECH. for now.

we DO NEED to develop our own windmill factories.

Yes, ee need to reduce our reliance on foreign oil.

Brilliant response. Cripple the consumer even more. Goes to show economics and environmentalism go together like oil and water.

Cripple the consumer?

Average American household living in a city spends 18 cents of every dollar on transporation.

Average European household living in a city spends 8 cents of every dollar on transportation.

when price of oil will double, Europeans won't feel it as much because they don't depend on oil as much. So their costs could go to 12 cents of every dollar compared to 8. In USA? Costs will probably go to around 30 cents of every dollar compared to 18.

Who is crippling consumers? Are you retarded??? This inefficiency will DESTROY America. Bank on it.

How many of you hippies ride a bike to work?

Tell you what, those worried about fuel usage should ride to work unless you are lucky enough to be an elitist. Once you ride your bike to work, you will realize that fuel is basically a 100% tax as it is.

As a cycle commuter and tax payer, why should I help some fat sack of shit buy an electric car?
Tell me!

I drive my cars for pleasure or emergency. Quadruple the cost of gas and my driving will not change. An electric car won't work for me as batteries need to be tended. Can't leave one sit for months at a time, then expect the car to work immediately when I need it to. Perhaps I could change my lifestyle to be more sedentary (read: more lazy), so the electric car can win for democrats. Hmmmm.

Exactly, likely part of the reason the economy tanked was the spike in fuel prices. Common sense says the economy will suffer if people's money goes to fuel instead of consumer goods.

Prices are high if they are artificial. OK smart guy, we add $1 in tax to the fuel from where it is now. What happens if Oil goes to $250 a barrel over the next 3 months based on speculation?
Is gas expensive then?
Based on what. Go ride your damn bike... unless you are lucky enough to afford exactly, but no more than you propose, but are unwilling to do without govt. intervention. You all think it is EVERYONE ELSE that is the problem. Look in the mirror. God damn, unless you don't believe in god and are offended by the mere mention. If you are a Christian, no one cares if you are offended ;)

Why the heck would you raise taxes? Just stop buying from foreign manufacturers, and start doing your own manufacturing and selling in-country. You'll see the prices go blowing through the roof.

You'll be able to kill 3 birds with one stone:
-Wake Americans up to the fact that we need to buy oil from overseas because it's cheaper.
-Push people to buy up as many electric vehicles as they can when they see the prices climb to astronomical levels.
-And lastly, you'll rid yourself of the dependence on foreign oil, or not.

Not sure why this is deboosted so much. In theory, it is dead on nuts accurate. +1.

the deboosts are in recognition of his 'brilliance!'

yes, let's stop IMPORTING oil and MANUFACTURE OUR OWN!

+1s for everyone.

selfish people who want to burn all the gas they can in their gas hogs love to bash california.

BUT... california now burns the LEAST amount of carbon fuels per dollar spent in the general economy. AND, if that state were a country, it would be FOURTH LARGEST in the world, by GDP.

california led the way in anti-smog, and later fuel efficiency initiatives. largely out of NECESSITY, because it was also the first to SUFFER FROM lung burning smog blanketing whole cities.

guess the retarded motorheads on this site (vs. INTELLIGENT motorheads) will never take fuel efficiency seriously until they start suffering more lung cancers and other pollution aggravated health problems.

I want to oppose a gas tax, but honestly i think it would do some good if done correctly. I think that the higher price of gas in Europe has pushed European manufacturers to make more efficient engines, which I think results in an overall design philosophy and expertise that produces more thoughtful and refined auto designs. The tax shouldn't be too high, like it is in Europe. Last year, we saw that Americans will continue to buy gasoline at about the same rate up to the price point of $4-$4.50 per gallon.
I personally wouldn't mind paying a small gas tax IF the money is used to improve the highway infrastructure. The roads and interstate system need a lot of work and maintenance now. This is America, not India or China, we shouldn't ever have collapsing interstate bridges or pieces falling off of bridges.
I think a small gas tax would force some more technical innovation from the American car companies, and the money needs to be used to improve and maintain our roads and other vital transportation infrastructure.

canada and europe seem to be doing well, follow the leaders

"Does thar inclued universal health care and free college?"

It should.

I want free beer. That is it. But let us get real. I don't care if we have the smartest individuals in the world, if there is no incentive for people to apply themselves once educated, they will still be worthless.

That modest gas tax will only cover the $7500 tax credit for 1% of the population.

Dumb Idea.

this country needs to start preparing for high oil/gas prices. europe already has $6 a gallon gas, and their economy is not hurt because of it. that's because the average european household living in a city spends 8 cents of every dollar on transportation, compared to 18 cents for the average american household in a city.

this will mean a disaster for the U.S. economy if nothing is changed, when oil prices rise (and the will). U.S. has to become much more energy efficient, or simply lose it's economic competitiveness in the next 2 decades.

You are a fear monger. Do you think everyone else has your same concern?
How 'bout we prepare for the situation, when it begins?
I could prepare for my wife's untimely death by killing her, but I don't see how that is a solution to anything. Go ride your bike. Prepare yourself. This doesn't need to be a group hand-holding event.

True, but your solution to the fuel problem would be like the pilgrims starving themselves to prepare for winter, without stockpiling food.

Think for a second, do you think we consumers are the only one using fuel what about airlines, shipping companies, and trasportation companies.

They would be the ones getting hurt the most. We need to put the electric cars out there like we are doing the volt, give incentives, make sure it does not fall apart, have a infrastructure to support and wait until everyone adpots it, just like they are with hybrids.

We dont need to playing with fuel cost or taxes.

Please stop posting till you turn on your brain. Let's see if I get this right: give incentives....but don't tax. These magic incentives that come out of the air......interesting concept. Wait a sec...incentives are paid for by taxes.... ya can't have one without the other. If you tax gas....it is an INCENTIVE to buy a more fuel efficient vehicle. The more fuel efficient vehicle you buy....the less tax you pay. You think it's a coincidence that people by Corollas and Civics when the price of gas goes up? It's a joke that people can't see the relationship between the two. Gas is a luxury brother. And it's going fast.

HyundaiSmoke, why won't you die?

Not sure if Hyundai is joking or if he is serious. Look all, now that Obama is in office, you don't have to try and destroy America anymore. I would think you want things to look up, now that your guy is in.

shrewmoe--

you think america is on the way to destruction with obama? what a fool!

it was ALREADY ON A FAST TRACK to it, because we had a village idiot and a warmonger running --make that RUINING-- the economy over 8 years. obama is only doing damage control, and HOPEFULLY can work on FIXING things eventually.

so we went to war to destroy bin Laden? and purported nukes? both turned out to be phantom objectives. we HAVE however gone quite a ways to DESTROYING OURSELVES under the Dumbya administration.

So people here are advocating paying fuel surcharges for shipping, airplane flights, mass groung transportation (buses, trains, etc.). Not everyone wants, or needs an electric car so why should we all pay?

How about we tap our resources in Texas, or drill more up in Alaska, or in the Gulf or off California. Everyone thinks that we would suddenly have a coastline littered with rigs, which is BS. Technology in drilling has become very advanced. They can drill sideways for miles to avoid disrupting environments directly above the oil, they have made viable the shale oil that we have loads of here. Spur an industry and growth in the manufacturing sector of energy production with these ideas and you can keep prices the same or lower them even.

But far left crazies think we should be FORCED into buying cars we don't want. Statistics prove that people in a majority don't want electric or hybrid cars. When gas went up over $4 a gallon people bought the cars, gas goes down and sales drop sharply. It's a very noticeable correlation which says people are buying the cars based on necessity instead of actually wanting them.

It's not a good policy to punish everybody for a fake climate change that is NOT happening. I'm a firm non-believer that we have global warming. The Earth goes in cycles and we are in one of them, that is all. It was actually just released today that even though we put more emissions into the air, the plants and trees of the Earth actually absorb more than half of it. Seems like they are loving it as they use CO2 to survive and thrive.

I'll plant a tree, buy a cow and drive a truck, thanks!

Whether or not global warming is factual has nothing to do with the fact the world is producing less and less oil each year, and consuming more and more. NOTHING will stop the price of gas from going up. You can blame it on whomever you like.....but people who are "forced" to buy the fuel efficient cars are going to do so again and in greater numbers. Of course people are driving the biggest cars they can. Everybody would be shitting in Gold toilet bowls if they could. The price of gas determines the size of cars people drive. (see Europe vs Saudi Arabia). It's not a conspiracy....it's supply and demand.

Thank you HyundaiSmoke, your opinion is helping to further broaden my conventional stereotype of ecomentalists.

2012 will be the year, I am making my bunker in the Rockies.

"2012 will be the year, I am making my bunker in the Rockies."

- Just like Y2K? LOL!!!

F No!

sez another Pushrod Pinhead...

pushrod:
"I think a small gas tax would force some more technical innovation from the American car companies, and the money needs to be used to improve and maintain our roads and other vital transportation infrastructure."

a smart statement. my apologies pushrod, for the comment above (more directed at my ole pinhead pal who thinks pushrod motors are as efficient as ohc types).

but you DO NEED to face the reality of global warming. it's REAL. and the further north you go, the more people recognize this.

You don't even have a clue.....You think ANWAR is the solution? ANWAR would be like strapping on a parachute with 1 square foot of material.....it'll slow you down, but it won't make a difference.