Mileage-based charges are the only way to replace the US's gas taxes once electric vehicles start scaling. Even now gas taxes are regressive, since the wealthier people driving electric cars get to freeload. Great to see Washington state showing some leadership on this. www.kuow.org/stories/wash... - ThreadSky

humantransit.bsky.social • 5 days ago

Mileage-based charges are the only way to replace the US's gas taxes once electric vehicles start scaling. Even now gas taxes are regressive, since the wealthier people driving electric cars get to freeload.

Great to see Washington state showing some leadership on this. https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-road-usage-charge-hb-1921

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chris-begley.bsky.social•5 days ago

And a per-mile charge also allows for differential charging (a Nissan Leaf paying one rate, an F15 Lightning paying more)

malicat.bsky.social•4 days ago

In Georgia, we pay a yearly fee to register our EVs. It is designed to offset the loss of tax revenue.

legalminimum.bsky.social•4 days ago

Mileage-based charges are regressive everywhere but especially in Washington, where normal people with normal incomes can't afford to live within 90 minutes of where their companies insist that they travel for work.

rossbl.bsky.social•4 days ago

Gas taxes are regressive but so are tobacco taxes. Both are taxes on things we want to discourage. In contrast something like a nursing license fee is both regressive and something we want to encourage.

nextstl.com•5 days ago

Missouri charges a fee for EVs to make up for gas taxes
https://dor.mo.gov/motor-vehicle/fuel-decals.html

epilot.loudlyf.art•4 days ago

Colorado has an annual registration fee for EVs that is about 2x the annual amount paid in gas taxes by normal vehicles to make up the gap.

shastingssimon.bsky.social•5 days ago

I think it's a good start but hope they will change their approach to include the weight or other size markers for the vehicle. Unlike the article claims it's not unfair that cars that get worse mileage pay more, a bit part of that is size/weight which has a real cost to society.

shastingssimon.bsky.social•5 days ago

It wouldn't be difficult, the per mile fee would just have to have some scaling based on vehicle size.

sethineugene.bsky.social•5 days ago

Vehicle weight is usually available in dmv data.

mclean.bsky.social•5 days ago

We are exploring it here in Illinois too
https://bsky.app/profile/mclean.bsky.social/post/3lhjnkx523k2z

chrisgoldin.bsky.social•5 days ago

This is good but the per mile charge should be higher the heavier the vehicle is as well.

chrusher.bsky.social•5 days ago

How much you should pay should be the product of mileage and vehicle weight since most of the externalities depend on vehicle mass.

I would also charge all vehicles the mileage rate, not just the low emissions ones.

jeffreyearly.bsky.social•5 days ago

It really isn’t super regressive in WA at the moment. Registering an EV costs an extra $225 annually. That equivalent to driving 14000 miles in a 30 mpg vehicle using the 49.4 cents per gallon tax in WA. I’m paying more driving an EV.

Detail aside, I completely agree with your larger point.

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