The Bad News About Good Hybrids

Eric Pters Automobiles, Motorcycles, Libertarian Politics ^ | October 9, 2012 | Eric Peters

[arthurus]

They want control. Absolute, total control. Of everything.

The state ruined Paypal – which originally provided a way for people to transact business anonymously and without cutting in Uncle Sam (a major “crime” in the USSA) and will soon ruin Amazon, eBay and countless other online retailers. The Net is about to be locked down as tight as anything else under government’s thumb. It was permitted to be free until it became too successful. And that is exactly what’s going to happen to the cars that are supposed to free us from $4 a gallon fill-ups. As soon as they can actually do that – and as soon as there are enough of them in people’s driveways – the boom will be lowered.

I suspect we’ll end up paying even more to drive – that is, whenever we’re allowed to drive.

[Paladin2]

CNG.

[Democrat_media]

Maybe he meant that you can't be anonymous anywhere now even on paypal as the government requires every business ID everyone ( any business providing money transactions like banks, paypal , credit cards etc.). The government wants to know every transaction that you do so they can tax and control you more and they used 9/11 as an excuse to crack down even more.

I notice more and more retailers want to register you, for cards etc.

[Real Cynic No More]

Unfortunately, our road and highway deterioration will accelerate due to the increase in mileage traveled by electric or hybrid vehicles. Right now, if you don’t want to pay the gas tax, you can stay at home and not drive. The gas tax is more or less a user fee, much like tolls. If you don’t want to pay it, don’t use it. But with transferance of costs, the real costs will be hidden, and all of us will subsidize the costs of those few who want to drive on our roadways.

[Wuli]

The issue of fuel taxes as road taxes should be resolved, and should have been resolved ahead of time, so that to the extent that fuel taxes are appropriate, all vehicles, “fossil fuel” powered or otherwise pay some form of them; some form that amounts to an equal assesssment of “fuel” consumed.

Leaving “fossil fuel” vehicles alone paying them IS an injustice, amounting to a lack of “equal protection” of the laws, as all vehicles, including “alternative” vehicles use the same roads.

When you return to my first statement, you realize that the author is correct in one thing. Not only WILL electric vehciles be assessed some “energy/fuel” tax at some point (in my opinion they should be in equality with fossil fuel vehicles), but also, if they are as energy efficient as the author suggests (in terms of the per mile amount of energy consumed), then should electric vehicles ever dominate the road either their energy taxes will be raised a lot, or the politicians will find some other way to assess everyone for taxes to support the roads.

[Bidimus1]

If the author was right on the cost / benifit of electric cars they would domintate the market. And here are reasons why

Battery Cost
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304432704577350052534072994.html

Battery Temp Issues
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/transportation/your-evs-battery-life-depends-on-where-you-live/1711

Battery Failure “Brick”
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/02/the-tesla-roadster-bricking-story-details-deconstructed/

Oh and no one will pay the cost for one with out .Gov s subsidy $7500

When/If supercap or hydraulic / mechanical hybrids become available they will be a better solution then LiOn is right now I think.

[Wuli]

I don’t believe that I said the author was right on the “cost/benefit” analysis of hybrids or electric vehicles.

I did speculate on tax possibilities “IF” the author was correct on the energy per mile consumption, not the “cost” or “benefits” of the electric energy consumption.

Naturally, there is more to what powers a vehicle than just the fuel, and in the case of electric/hybrid/battery power, the one time costs - the vehicle, and the ongoing costs - battery life and their replacement costs, indicate the technoloy is not up for head to head competition with gasoline and diesel power. I am not arguing differently.

My essential point was that even without those considerations, or in addition to those considerations, electric/battery powered vehicles are likely to have new and growing expenses, vis-a-vis “fuel/energy” taxes. To me that just seems inevitable, and in my opinion should already be under legislative consideration. Why should only gas/diesel powered vehicles pay “fuel taxes” for the roads?

[Wuli]

“When/If supercap or hydraulic / mechanical hybrids become available they will be a better solution then LiOn is right now I think.”

I think it’s possible that U.S. domestic natural gas supplies and that market might make CNG a viable alternative to gas/diesel power, in greater numbers and before themselves meeting equal competition from electric/battery powered solutions. The industry is already advanced in the provision of residential units for refueling.

[Myrddin]

I upgraded to a Harley Fat Bob with the big front tire. It handles the crappy roads much better than bikes with a "pizza cutter" for a front wheel.