States mull driver taxes by the mile

DETROIT - could you pay taxes by the mile one day?

It took Carol Hinka some time to get used to pay tolls, they two years ago, first on the Garden State Parkway, then commute to the New Jersey Turnpike on it daily to their Office West of New York City moved to Central New Jersey.

But if their insurance company, she was experimenting with the idea of charging by the mile learned - the way their fees support the toll roads - began to questions, why she could not by the mile for all your car costs pay instead of the current collection, which contains fixed national and federal fuel taxes.

Who will not be this Jahr life Inc. pay taxes: new report estimates that 46 percent American households pay no federal income tax this year. Life Inc.: This jerk at work more than you, nice guy life Inc. will: Buffett touched a nerve with tax plea your career: personality tests and fairness in hiring life Inc.: finding workers who show up on time

Hinka is not alone. A number of regulators and planners think the idea of charging by the mile, a great idea - is something that was able to gain even more traction if electric cars is growing in popularity. Since hybrids use less fuel than conventionally powered vehicles and battery-electric vehicles at all no fuel use comparable, it is possible for the Government's coffers used to lose billions of dollars per year in annual revenue for the maintenance and the other projects.

Replace this revenue, several States - together with a number of European countries - explore the idea of creating per mile charges that use GPS navigation systems to track how much a vehicle is driven. It could be a fixed fee or the fee may be adjusted that the fuel efficiency of a car, perhaps also when and where it was sold.

Introduced in the legislative proposal suggested a fee of about 0.85% per mile up to 2015, for example, the illustration jump Oregon 1.85 cents per mile up to 2018. The typical American driver always a combined 25 mpg today pays nearly 2 cents per mile in fuel excise control - very different from the State. So the first character of the series with the part of Oregon currently charges would not likely be - although the 2018 fee would fuel for most drivers amounts to a tax increase.

The Oregon measure was in debate ground to a halt, and similar proposals in Texas, Minnesota and other parts of the country still not caught up yet, either.

In Europe, with its crowded streets and a growing sensitivity to ecological the issue resolved per mile road charges widely discussed and was the subject of a comprehensive test in the Netherlands, where traffic problems are among the most serious on the continent.

Lead to establish a national system for mile in 2012 should, but despite the apparent success of the test project, took office it was after a new Government in the past year deferred.

A report in the International Herald Tribune says the project was not popular but prove effective, with many participants, after I a taxi-like meter on the dashboard include the additional fee, decision to reduce their driving or even switch to mass transit.

The Dutch system would have not only because through the mile but the fee depending on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, adapted to risks. In rush hour would drive been more expensive, how would take more clogged highways.

"The studies work well, but it is first of all a psychological problem and secondly a political decision" Eric-mark Huitema, a specialist with IBM, which developed the system, said the newspaper.

Seems that idea on resistance among the run that will know fear that big brother too much about it come and go - if the proponents of the system for American drivers actually follow is not specifically where a vehicle is driven.

Some experts expect the problem to go way. It is unlikely that electric vehicles will receive more than a small share of the market for at least over the next decade according to a recent study by j.d power and Associates, which expected of hybrids, plug-in the, and battery electric vehicles combines no more than a share of the US market of 7 percent by 2020 to achieve. But greatly reduce government revenues even conventional vehicles with significantly less fuel in the years ahead.

2025 West Germany achieve corporate average fuel Sconomy standard 54.5 mpg, about twice as high as in President Barack Obama took office. With Americans Mary D. Nichols drive Chair actually less fast fuel prices soaring, seem some options to restore lost Highway revenue except the increase of excise duties or adoption recognizes an alternative system, the California Air Resources Board.

Nichols TheDetroitBureau.com "It is a problem that we have to cope with," said earlier this year though, the bureaucracy is happy not the environment to deal with is.

This is especially the case when it comes to electrical energy. To promote, proponents such as the fact that the owner of a battery cars like the Nissan leaf it around 2 cents per mile for the electricity it costs used - as compared to 10 cents or more for a comparable gas-powered vehicle. So that only a penny or two add new charges a significant percentage could mean in driving costs - increase and reduce the savings in fuel needs, compensate for the higher price for a battery vehicle.

But with the increasing burden of government revenues, few expect the idea of a pay-as-you-drive system on. Oregon advocates plan to keep pressing for a tax liability per mile, and in Europe, Belgium starts a small test program from September. The small country adopts the idea all along the line, major Nations such as Germany are likely to follow.

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