Contributor
I covered the home charging idea of having the car report the kWh. If necessary, legislation could require all EVs to include that capability. Interesting that many are concerned that the fees collected go to the right state which doesn't happen now with gas taxes.Originally Posted by Mike Henderson
Contributor
In a way, it does. If you travel a lot of miles in another state you'll probably buy some gas there. It's not perfect but it's something. Big trucks have much more stringent requirements. They have to show that they bought enough diesel fuel in a state for the miles they traveled there. Otherwise, the trucks would fill up in a cheap state and drive right through an expensive state, but still put wear on the roads.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
[OP]
Contributor
Occasionally we buy gas in Oregon. Usually we purchase our fuel in Washington. There are likely a lot of Oregonians who shop in Washington and do not buy much fuel in Washington. In the Oregon counties closest to us it is still unlawful for consumers to pump their own. That is likely a convenience for many drivers who do not want to get out of their cars in the rain or snow.
There are always people trying to get around paying taxes. It often backfires on them and they end up having to pay road taxes on their heating fuel.
Some have tried converting their vehicles to natural gas and use home filling stations. My last involvement with such was in the late 1980s & '90s.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
Especially if you live in California.
I always make it a point to top off in Havasu on my way back from the Grand Canyon, whether I need to or not.
Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
"Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.
Contributor
Same used to happen here in the Vancouver BC area pre Covid, we have some of the highest gas prices in N America and some would drive across the border to Washington state to fill up. Of course they were probably the first to complain about the condition of the roads here in BC. Our gas prices are high as there are taxes to support road maintenance and to support rapid transit systems.
Can't help but think all our taxes would be lower and the services they support would be better if everyone just paid their fair share instead of going out of their way to avoid taxes.
[OP]
Contributor
It seems some folks put in more effort avoiding taxes than they would have to if they just paid them. But of course "it is the principle" they claim.Can't help but think all our taxes would be lower and the services they support would be better if everyone just paid their fair share instead of going out of their way to avoid taxes.
Often gasoline is 10¢ a gallon cheaper in Oregon and they pump it for you. With an empty thirty gallon tank that is only going to save me three bucks for a fill up. At least that much gas will be wasted to get the lower price.
jtk
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 12-08-2020 at 5:37 PM. Reason: wording
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
A former co-worker lived in Wisconsin and worked in Minnesota. He probably drove 75% of his miles in Minnesota due to his commute. He bought all of his gas in Wisconsin so the gas tax would go to his home state. He would complain about rush hour congestion in Minnesota, but he didn't pay one penny towards highway improvements in Minnesota.
Moderator
It's that way here in PA, but in the web interface for the account, one is supposed to enter the license plate(s) for the vehicle(s) that will use the transponder. They can cross reference from there.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
Yes, that's how it works here too.
Problem is, if you list multiple cars, they have no way of knowing which car it's in when they ping it except by looking at the plate pictures. But if they're going to have to ID every car using the plate pictures anyway, there's no point in having a transponder in the first place.
Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
"Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.
Contributor
Another co-worker of mine pinched pennies to the extreme. He was constantly looking for the best gas price and would go out of his way if gas was cheaper. We told him he probably wasn't saving money driving out of his way to buy gas. I am lucky on gas prices as two stations I drive by regularly have the lowest prices in the area.
I had a high MPG diesel car in the mid 2000s. I regularly drove to a station that was almost a 20 mile round trip because I could generally save 20 to 30 cents per gallon. The half gallon of diesel I burned was more than made up by the savings.
Moderator
I honestly can see at time when toll-by-plate may very well just replace transponders, honestly. Given the advances in video capture technology. Or alternatively, transponder type gear just embedded in the vehicle. (and made difficult or nearly impossible to disable without "bricking" the car) But I can see, um...shall we say...pushback...on that kind of idea by certain folks, too.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
[OP]
Contributor
Two of the major grocery chains in my area have discounts on gas based on grocery purchases. It can be up to a dollar per gallon. The rewards are honored across the state line.
The store where we usually do our shopping also tends to have the lowest gas prices in the area. My discount from last month is 60¢ a gallon. We haven't been doing as much driving since covid. We are tending to have all our meals at home now.
As long as they are getting paid, they likely do not care which vehicle is using the pass. Being able to associate it with a license plate will likely only be used by law enforcement, if the transponder doesn't register or it is reported stolen.
There may be other reasons that escape me at the moment.
Can a transponder be used in a vehicle that isn't associated to the transponder? This would be a reason for an image being stored of all vehicles and transponders.
jtk
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 12-09-2020 at 2:23 PM.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
Well, I thought we were discussing using the transponders to assess "gas" taxes on EVs, but drift happens...
Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
"Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.
[OP]
Contributor
Yes, conversation drift is normal.
Electric vehicle transponders will likely be a different kettle of fish than a toll road transponder. Any transponder used for road taxes will likely be permanently attached to a single vehicle. The vehicle weight will likely be included in the formula of any tax scheme.
They will likely be blended in years to come. That is how technology works.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote