Although fuel excise is not hypothecated to road funding, the tax plays a significant part of government revenue.
Currently electric vehicle owners do not pay the fuel excise on fuel, and many other liquids derived from fossil fuel, much of which is used for roads planning, construction and maintenance and is also a major contributor to state budgets.
They grizzle that they should not have to pay because they are green and care for the environment, naively believing that electric vehicles are environmentally friendly despite using coal and fossil fuels to generate electricity, precious metals to produce batteries which have minimal life expectancy, four times the amount of the rare recourse of copper which has only 20 years of ore left in our fragile earth and producing more carbon emissions to build.
Fossil fuel motorists pay 42.3 cents per litre into this fund, and electric vehicle owners really believe that we should pay their share for our roads and they should not?
Victoria has budgeted for a 2.5 cents per kilometre for electric vehicles, which I believe is too low as it is 60% below what petrol and diesel vehicles pay.
EG: a regular UV on petrol or diesel achieves on average 10 litres per 100km. So, for 100km they pay $4.20 or 4.2 cents per kilometres tax (excise duty).
The answers for those who do not want to pay for roads, and want others to pay for their privileges is: keep off our roads.
I note that they are also demanding subsidies on the purchase of their electric vehicle as well, claiming again their naively misguided green intentions.
Where do they think the money comes from for all of this?
Simply say green and it’s all free?
Maybe if we claim green, everything should be free and paid for by the remaining battlers who cannot afford a new electric vehicle?
Extracted from The Chronicle