Possible EV tax in Texas

[sublimaze1]

It has simply a matter of time when TXDOT decides that our Teslas and the Leafs and the ______ (fill in the blank) need to be taxed, similarly to the cars in Washington state. I surmise they will put some registration tax (ever wonder what the bridge tax is on your registration) to EV owners at some insane rate of $150 or so.

We need to be prepared for this, inasmuch as there is a double taxing situation. We pay tax to the electric company and then tax to the TXDOT, or something of the sort.

I am sure there are some barristers on this site from Texas. If anyone has insight on how we can be ready to combat this, or at least lessen the threat (we still pay tollway fees, we still pay road and bridge tax, etx.) it might be worth preparing for.

<off my soap box>

WJ

 

[jerry33]

The only thing I have ever heard in support of not taxing EVs is that EVs don't leak oil over the roads which costs the state millions of dollars to clean up. I only hope they don't put the same surcharge on electricity as they do on a gallon of gas.

 

[TexasEV]

Our cars don't have emissions, which helps the major cities stay within clean air compliance. Fewer "ozone action days" if more people drove EVs.
Texas just incentivized the purchase of EVs by $2500 funded by the Emissions Reduction Plan. Taxing them would a really schizophrenic policy (not that it wouldn't happen). By the way as I wrote in another thread Tesla buyers won't be eligible for that credit, the way the regulations are currently written, because the cars are not "sold" in Texas. This despite a Tesla Model S reducing emissions more than any other EV, as it's driven more miles than other EVs.

 

[jerry33]

Our cars don't have emissions, which helps the major cities stay within clean air compliance. Fewer "ozone action days" if more people drove EVs.

As far as I know, the State doesn't care about whether the cities can meet the compliance standards.

Texas just incentivized the purchase of EVs by $2500 funded by the Emissions Reduction Plan.

They did the same thing for hybrids a few years ago. Thing is they never actually funded the Emissions Reduction Plan so no money was ever paid out. You could register for it though. I don't expect this to be any different.

 

[barbja]

Here is a nice 5th grade reprsentation of how our gas tax is allocated:

http://tti.tamu.edu/group/stsc/files/2011/01/GasTax-BROCHURE.pdf

Doesn't that look great? You would think from that nice picture that EVs should pony up and submit to that pretty bar chart. Well then there's reality:

Third time's a charm: Texas lawmakers finally pass transportation funding bill

"Currently, 47% of the state’s gas tax is diverted to non-road purposes, primarily public education (25%) and the Department of Public Safety (5%), while 100% of the state’s vehicles sales tax ($3.3 billion/yr) gets diverted to non-road uses. "

"They" are trying to make it so that our gas tax and registration actually go to our roads. Obviously taxing EVs is a sub-micro drop in a absolutely gigantic bucket. If they tax EVs with the state we are in now, it most certainly would not go to roads. I'm not saying that they won't do it, but its just to get more money to put somewhere and that somewhere would not be roads.

Right now, gas tax isn't a road use tax anymore than cigarette tax is a "you're stinking up my air and we have to clean it" tax. I don't buy cigarettes, I don't get taxed. I don't buy gas, I don't get taxed.

However, I drive on a toll road with my EV, I pay for it. Now that's a "driving on the road" fee.

 

[texex91]

Let's not give those knuckleheads (not the real word I wanted--but I'll keep it clean) at the State any ideas.

To me it's shocking that there are not more incentives in place for those that buy EV's in Texas (not really).

Then again the Capitol is run by lobbyist not representatives of the people.

But hey, there are 100 ways to spin things--I don't have kids in public schools, but I have to pay taxes for that every year to the school district that I don't use. And don't get me started on the cluster up in DC over the past 5 years--but that's another discussion for Federal gripes.

I think whatever argument the legislators are paid the most for will pass--just like anything else the politicians do.

Don't kid yourself, TADA is all over making Tesla owners life hard--my answer, do everything we can do sell a ton of Tesla's (and open more 'Stores' in Texas)

 

[W.Petefish]

I was involved with a discussion on this very topic at NCTCOG. The consensus was that Texas would go to a model of vehicle taxing based on milage and weight. My suggestion was to tax based on weight.

Moral of the story: If you don't attend the meetings you don't get your voice heard.

Follow this for the meetings information:
Electric Vehicles North Texas is part of Clean Cities North Texas. Electric Vehicles North Texas - Nctcog.org

(And appearantly they used a photo of my roadster on the cover of the flyer for National Plug-in Day)

 

[sublimaze1]

Just received my Vehicle Registration Renewal Notice. Looking over it, I noticed that the state government has noted that my vehicle is GAS (see second folded area in the box to the right of "fuel type", also repeated in the third fold in the big box).

Not that this is a big deal or anything (yet), simply taking time to point this out.

 

[csummers]

As a recent buyer of a CPO Roadster (First in TX I'm told) I was shocked to find that even though I bought the car on line from CA, Texas still found a way to charge me sales tax!! ($3600+) by calling it a "use tax" in order to register the vehicle. Sure we don't have to pay the $25 emissions part of the annual vehicle inspection but why should I pay sales tax on on internet purchases??? BRRRGRRR! :-|

Bottom line unless we act and motivate the lawmakers, instead of lobbyists buying the vote, we'll still get the shaft.

 

[purplewalt]

As a recent buyer of a CPO Roadster (First in TX I'm told) I was shocked to find that even though I bought the car on line from CA, Texas still found a way to charge me sales tax!! ($3600+) by calling it a "use tax" in order to register the vehicle.

I believe GLACIER in Ft. Worth took possession of his CPO Roadster a couple months ago, fully loaded with carbon fiber trim and looking fine.

 

[772]

csummers, i don't think that's exclusive to texas... i've bought cars out of state as well and been asked to pay sales tax prior to title being issued in my home state/county. i think it's "fair" in the sense that, if it weren't applied, everyone would buy cars out of state