FasTrak toll lanes in Los Angeles to charge all EVs soon.

[ebmcs03]

This quote is Disgusting. Clearly coming from someone who totally lacks the knowledge of what a EV is.

“I cannot subsidize someone who puts their tie on and drives their Tesla to work in these lanes,” said Los Angeles City Councilman and Metro board member Paul Krekorian.

Then it goes on later to say. “and free-riding EV drivers, which account for about 6 percent.”

So ya. Seems likeTesla owners are the real problem. Combined with ALL EV owners who use these lanes make up 6% of the traffic. Yup. EVs are the problem right?

I admit. This affects me. But I see more violators in the lanes who

1. Either don’t have a transponder and cut in and out between the toll lanes and the main traffic lanes just before the toll sensor and back in after the toll sensor.

2. Those liars who have a transponder and are single drivers with their switch marked to three + riders.

Clean air vehicles will no longer ride pay lanes for free in LA County – Daily News

 

[jelly]

Literally the only two Express lanes I commute on are the 110 and 10, and basically the reason I sold my ICE for electric.

Can't believe this change will go through without a lot of resistance!!!

 

[Barklikeadog]

So they offered an incentive, and when people started utilizing that incentive(which is the goal, right?) they take it away. seems pretty normal. You want EVs to be mainstream, don't complain when you're treated like everyone else. Same as people here complaining about road maintenance yet are paying no gas tax to support it.

 

[JeffK]

6% wow, with such a high percentage the air quality in LA must already be super clean.

I guess they'll just have to subsidize the healthcare of their children.

 

[ebmcs03]

Literally the only two Express lanes I commute on are the 110 and 10, and basically the reason I sold my ICE for electric.

Can't believe this change will go through without a lot of resistance!!!

We weren’t given the chance to resist.

 

[davedavedave]

We weren’t given the chance to resist.

This is how it went down for i66 from NoVA into D.C. - all the hearings and votes happened 2 hours south Richmond, VA.

 

[Lasairfion]

Personally I'd get rid of any specific express lanes, toll roads and the like as the "some can use, others cannot" approach really doesn't seem to help with traffic congestion. The M6 Toll hasn't really helped alleviate traffic pressure on the M6 around Birmingham because it's a toll, so no-one uses it unless someone else (like a business) is paying. I'd scrap annual licensing fees too.

I think it'd be far better if everyone simply paid towards road maintenance based on how often they use their cars on the road. If major roads had a detector overhead that just read the numberplate and billed you a fraction of the local currency (a few cents perhaps), then if you use the road lots and thus wear it out more, then you'd pay more.

I then think that a good chunk of that revenue should go towards increasing the effectiveness of public transportation. Underground rail, light rail and the like is a great help in metropolitan areas; as are park and ride bus services.

 

[miltymoots]

As the one person says in the article, this is sadly about money and not about clean air. Much as I am against it, this is for sure inevitable. In my opinion buying an EV just so you can use the HOV lane is always going to end badly eventually. Whether thats tomorrow or in a year.

Saying that, going from $0 to $12.75 PER TRIP is daylight robbery!!!

 

[JeffK]

if you use the road lots and thus wear it out more, then you'd pay more.

You'd have to go by the weight and type of vehicle. Semi truck, snow plow, etc are going to do a lot more damage than a passenger car.

 

[lx.josh]

Maybe if we all voice our complaints it may be heard.
Board of Directors | Contact the Metro Board of Directors

 

[tezzla]

Maybe if we all voice our complaints it may be heard.
Board of Directors | Contact the Metro Board of Directors

LOL... They NEVER listen.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

I know this may not be a popular opinion amongst CA EV owners, but I'm going to offer a different perspective. CA EV owners have it better than you think.

Here in Texas, EV owners get nada. Zip. Zero. Not a damn thing.

• No state rebate for an EV sale.
• No free tolls, reduced price tolls, or free passes for anything.
• No tax breaks at all.
• Sparse public chargers.
• Nearly zero free public chargers.
• What public chargers exist are very expensive. Electricity cannot be sold by the kWh by a non-utility in Texas, so chargers are per-session. Typically $3.00 per hour, which works out to nearly $0.50 per kWh.
• Virtually no time-of-use electricity plans from our electricity providers, despite a very open and deregulated electricity market.
• Most HOA's in Texas have regulations that will severely restrict or prevent installation of solar. If you do install solar, there is no grid sale-back allowed.
• The legislature is pissed that EV owners aren't buying gas and therefore aren't paying local and state taxes. There's talk of trying to levy an additional tax on EV owners via vehicle registration to compensate.
• Tesla can't even sell cars here, all sales have to go through CA, then get imported into TX. But when the vehicle arrives, you have to pay FULL sales tax up front (even on a loan or lease) -- you cannot roll taxes into your payments.
• While this rarely happens to Tesla's, I have personally seen Prius, Leafs, etc. get coal-rolled just because.

Yes, you're losing the express lane perk for EV's, which sucks, and I sympathize. But just keep in mind that you could have it SO much worse.

 

[miltymoots]

I know this may not be a popular opinion amongst CA EV owners, but I'm going to offer a different perspective. CA EV owners have it better than you think.

Here is Texas, EV owners get nada. Zip. Zero. Not a damn thing.

• No state rebate for an EV sale.
• No free tolls, reduced price tolls, or free passes for anything.
• No tax breaks at all.
• Sparse public chargers.
• Nearly zero free public chargers.
• What public chargers exist are very expensive. Electricity cannot be sold by the kWh by a non-utility in Texas, so chargers are per-session. Typically $3.00 per hour, which works out to nearly $0.50 per kWh.
• Virtually no time-of-use electricity plans from our electricity providers, despite a very open and deregulated electricity market.
• Most HOA's in Texas have regulations that will severely restrict or prevent installation of solar. If you do install solar, there is no grid sale-back allowed.
• The legislature is pissed that EV owners aren't buying gas and therefore aren't paying local and state taxes. There's talk of trying to levy an additional tax on EV owners via vehicle registration to compensate.
• Tesla can't even sell cars here, all sales have to go through CA, then get imported into TX. But when the vehicle arrives, you have to pay FULL sales tax up front (even on a loan or lease) -- you cannot roll taxes into your payments.
• While this rarely happens to Tesla's, I have personally seen Prius, Leafs, etc. get coal-rolled just because.

Yes, you're losing the express lane perk for EV's, which sucks, and I sympathize. But just keep in mind that you could have it SO much worse.

Wow that is unbelievable! Good context!

 

[Sandollars]

WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA. Seriously, if you are surprised about this, then you must be new to the State.... The entire California governing system is a contradiction. California should be at LEAST 2 separate States, but I digress.... Don't get me started on Los Angeles Government.....

 

[Sandollars]

I know this may not be a popular opinion amongst CA EV owners, but I'm going to offer a different perspective. CA EV owners have it better than you think.

Here is Texas, EV owners get nada. Zip. Zero. Not a damn thing.

• No state rebate for an EV sale.
• No free tolls, reduced price tolls, or free passes for anything.
• No tax breaks at all.
• Sparse public chargers.
• Nearly zero free public chargers.
• What public chargers exist are very expensive. Electricity cannot be sold by the kWh by a non-utility in Texas, so chargers are per-session. Typically $3.00 per hour, which works out to nearly $0.50 per kWh.
• Virtually no time-of-use electricity plans from our electricity providers, despite a very open and deregulated electricity market.
• Most HOA's in Texas have regulations that will severely restrict or prevent installation of solar. If you do install solar, there is no grid sale-back allowed.
• The legislature is pissed that EV owners aren't buying gas and therefore aren't paying local and state taxes. There's talk of trying to levy an additional tax on EV owners via vehicle registration to compensate.
• Tesla can't even sell cars here, all sales have to go through CA, then get imported into TX. But when the vehicle arrives, you have to pay FULL sales tax up front (even on a loan or lease) -- you cannot roll taxes into your payments.
• While this rarely happens to Tesla's, I have personally seen Prius, Leafs, etc. get coal-rolled just because.

Yes, you're losing the express lane perk for EV's, which sucks, and I sympathize. But just keep in mind that you could have it SO much worse.

You get a pretty sweet ride.....

 

[Az_Rael]

Virtually no time-of-use electricity plans from our electricity providers, despite a very open and deregulated electricity market.

Well, when you are buying electricity in TX all day long for less than I pay during my “super off peak” TOU (.14/kWh), that probably matters less. I would give up my TOU any day to go back to my old Texas power rates.

The legislature is pissed that EV owners aren't buying gas and therefore aren't paying local and state taxes. There's talk of trying to levy an additional tax on EV owners via vehicle registration to compensate.

And we have to pay an extra $100 for an EV on our registration in CA starting in 2020. You would actually pass out as a Texan if you saw my registration costs for our Teslas. Our 2015 S cost over $700 to register this year and will cost us an extra $100 on top of that when the EV fee goes into effect. Yay.

There is an income limit on the state EV rebate now, so not everyone gets it. I would guess many Tesla owners are now above the cap (I will not get the state rebate for my 3).

We also get no state tax breaks for EVs that I am aware of. We do get a $450 credit from the power company, so there is that.

Oh, and those “free public chargers” are actually impossible to use in my experience - it’s like Mad Max out here with people unplugging other people, etc. I much prefer paying the .45/kWh on a paid Blink charger and not getting unplugged several times any day. I had to buy a lock for my J1772 it is so bad.



So when they start taking small benefits away here in CA, we complain, yes.

(I used to live in DFW before I moved here for what it is worth. CA is sooooo much more expensive of a state to live in than TX)

 

[allanak]

I know this may not be a popular opinion amongst CA EV owners, but I'm going to offer a different perspective. CA EV owners have it better than you think.

Here in Texas, EV owners get nada. Zip. Zero. Not a damn thing.

• No state rebate for an EV sale.
• No free tolls, reduced price tolls, or free passes for anything.
• No tax breaks at all.
• Sparse public chargers.
• Nearly zero free public chargers.
• What public chargers exist are very expensive. Electricity cannot be sold by the kWh by a non-utility in Texas, so chargers are per-session. Typically $3.00 per hour, which works out to nearly $0.50 per kWh.
• Virtually no time-of-use electricity plans from our electricity providers, despite a very open and deregulated electricity market.
• Most HOA's in Texas have regulations that will severely restrict or prevent installation of solar. If you do install solar, there is no grid sale-back allowed.
• The legislature is pissed that EV owners aren't buying gas and therefore aren't paying local and state taxes. There's talk of trying to levy an additional tax on EV owners via vehicle registration to compensate.
• Tesla can't even sell cars here, all sales have to go through CA, then get imported into TX. But when the vehicle arrives, you have to pay FULL sales tax up front (even on a loan or lease) -- you cannot roll taxes into your payments.
• While this rarely happens to Tesla's, I have personally seen Prius, Leafs, etc. get coal-rolled just because.

Yes, you're losing the express lane perk for EV's, which sucks, and I sympathize. But just keep in mind that you could have it SO much worse.

You live in Texas. I live in Nevada. We both live in states without income tax. Where should the incentives come from? I’ll gladly keep my tax dollars vs a few grand one time rebate and I’d expect any other Tesla owner to agree.

 

[T34ME]

Yes, you're losing the express lane perk for EV's, which sucks, and I sympathize. But just keep in mind that you could have it SO much worse.

And you amigos in Tejas could have it so much better if you would vote carefully! Buen Suerte.

 

[dmode]

You live in Texas. I live in Nevada. We both live in states without income tax. Where should the incentives come from? I’ll gladly keep my tax dollars vs a few grand one time rebate and I’d expect any other Tesla owner to agree.

Incentives can come in many forms, such as HOV lane access, access to public chargers etc

 

[T34ME]

“I cannot subsidize someone who puts their tie on and drives their Tesla to work in these lanes,” said Los Angeles City Councilman and Metro board member Paul Krekorian.

Then it goes on later to say. “and free-riding EV drivers, which account for about 6 percent.”

Who wants to bet this guy puts his tie on and drives his BMW/MBZ/Audi/Jag to work in these lanes as a single occupant? Big Oil and
Big Auto are not giving up easily!