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Many consumers want long-range EVs. What they don't understand is that long-range EVs weigh more and the extra weight works against the range.
Over the long run, we can still expect the watt-hours per kilogram of the entire battery assembly (not just the cells themselves) to increase. But don't expect an order of magnitude improvement.
One good thing about battery weight is that EVs tend to have a lower center of gravity, making them less likely to flip in an accident.
Many consumers want long-range EVs. What they don't understand is that long-range EVs weigh more and the extra weight works against the range.
Over the long run, we can still expect the watt-hours per kilogram of the entire battery assembly (not just the cells themselves) to increase. But don't expect an order of magnitude improvement.
One good thing about battery weight is that EVs tend to have a lower center of gravity, making them less likely to flip in an accident.
I agree with your post overall. There will probably be some incremental improvements in battery capacity per cell, but we've been working on this technology for a long time with other applications - it isn't as new as many people think. Range has increased from the first generation EVs like the original Leaf, but that has much more to do with the total number of battery cells than it does with more efficient batteries.
I'm not sure how the government would implement a mileage charge. On older vehicles it would be pretty easy to just roll the odometer back, and I wouldn't be surprised if some automotive shops just put in a lower number for a lower tax bill.
All in all, the only way to make this fair and accurate going forward and ensure we have enough money to pay for roads, is have a mileage charge that is assessed at the same time as license plate renewal or inspection (which would also make a convenient time to record mileage since that is when they already do that.) This can be based partially on the GVWR of the vehicle as well.
I agree, but that still has us missing out on vehicles that are not registered in the state and just drive thru. The I-95 corridor collects a not insignificant amount of gas tax revenue from out-of-state vehicles. Maybe there should be a tax per kwh used at a charging station? (because people that charge at home will live in the state and pay the higher annual fees)
I'm not sure how the government would implement a mileage charge. On older vehicles it would be pretty easy to just roll the odometer back, and I wouldn't be surprised if some automotive shops just put in a lower number for a lower tax bill.
Cars are inspected every year, and I don't think shops that do inspections would risk that lucrative income stream to risk getting caught rolling back or entering false values and potentially lose all that business.
I agree, but that still has us missing out on vehicles that are not registered in the state and just drive thru. The I-95 corridor collects a not insignificant amount of gas tax revenue from out-of-state vehicles. Maybe there should be a tax per kwh used at a charging station? (because people that charge at home will live in the state and pay the higher annual fees)
That's already true if the vehicle doesn't stop off and purchase gas/diesel in NC.
The pass through thing could be solved with a federal repeal of the gas tax. Instead, the federal government can institute their own mileage based tax and distribute it to the states proportionally. If they want to make things more interesting, add another variable to the calculations (weight of vehicle).
The pass through thing could be solved with a federal repeal of the gas tax. Instead, the federal government can institute their own mileage based tax and distribute it to the states proportionally. If they want to make things more interesting, add another variable to the calculations (weight of vehicle).
States choose how much they tax gas. In some states, it is really low; in others, it is ridiculously high. I'm not sure how the Federal government would manage that. Combine that with some states have more roads to maintain per-capita, and coming up with an equitable distribution of funds would be difficult, if not impossible.
EV owners get hit with an added registration tax fee for road maintenance because they don't pay gas taxes. I suspect this fee will increase as more of the heavy EV's hit the streets and road improvement revenue falls below required funding levels. There is no free lunch.
Except you don't pay gas tax and get subsidized charging, so enjoy your "not free" lunch. What does that extra fee run y'all a year?
Except you don't pay gas tax and get subsidized charging, so enjoy your "not free" lunch. What does that extra fee run y'all a year?
The current EV fee is $140, which at 40.5 cents per gallon gas tax, is the equivalent of 10,380 miles for a car getting 30 mpg. I do not know the average number of mikes driven by the average person. They have talked of increasing the fee to $250 IIRC. That would be the equivalent of 18,518 for that 30 MPG vehicle.
So, if you put in 25k a year like me, you're coming out ahead, on the back of all the people only driving 6-8k a year, which again, is why a milage and possibly weight factored tax is really the only way forward.
Not sure who is getting subsidized charging. Let me know and I will go get some free power.
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