Pirate's Cove

Did EV buyers actually think they were going to get away with avoiding taxes like the gas tax? Fortunately, Government is stepping in, and will soon figure a way to track where the EVs drive. You know it won’t be something simple like comparing the odometer from year to year when a state inspection is done

‘Miles traveled’ fee for electric vehicles gets support from Vermont Agency of Transportation

Gov. Phil Scott’s administration is backing a plan to impose a so-called “miles traveled” fee on all electric vehicles in 2026 as a way to make up for millions of dollars in lost gas tax revenue.

There are roughly 13,000 EVs registered in Vermont — a number that’s expected to double in the next few years.

The state Agency of Transportation is supporting a plan to record the number of miles driven by an electric vehicle at its annual inspection, Patrick Murphy, the sustainability and innovation project manager at the Agency of Transportation, told members of the Senate Transportation Committee this week.

Huh, I guess it will. For the moment. I’m actually shocked that they are offering a reasonable plan that doesn’t track owners. Owners will still have to pay fees.

Meanwhile in Connecticut

(News8) Milford has passed a first-of-its-kind ordinance that bans certain electric vehicle charging stations.

Officials said the ban is because there are concerns about fires at underground charging stations.

“If you’re able to have [the charging station] above [ground], we have a better chance of extinguishing the fire and saving the structure,” Milford Deputy Fire Marshal Timothy Suden said.

I’m not saying it’s always something with EVs, but, it’s always something with EVs.

(LA Times) After years of rapid expansion, California’s booming EV market may be showing signs of fatigue as high vehicle prices, unreliable charging networks and other consumer headaches appear to dampen enthusiasm for zero-emission vehicles.

For the first time in more than a decade, electric vehicle sales dropped significantly in the last half of 2023. There are even signs that Californians may be growing tired of Tesla — or at least weary of its outspoken chief executive, Elon Musk — as state Tesla sales fell 10% in the final quarter of last year.

It’s unclear whether the declines are a mere blip or the beginning of a downward trend, but the news is already raising questions about California’s ability to meet its ambitious climate goals, including a pledge to ban the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars and light trucks by 2035.

Or, it could be that the people who want one and can afford one have mostly gotten one, and the rest cannot afford them and/or find them inconvenient.