The Sting In The Tail For Owners Of Electric Cars?

[youngmafbog]

No surprise, pretty sure I wrote this on AB years ago.

It may well be the end of Rishi's popularity though and his downfall if they put it on all cars, including those already paying a 'tax; to use the road,

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8951969/Rishi-Sunak-considers-plan-charge-motorists-mile-drive-Britains-roads.html

[bhg481]

That sounds easily fudgeable, TTT. If it's relying on, say, GPS you could block the signal for some journeys. I'm sure the cheats would find a way to trick it.

[ToraToraTora]

barry: "If every vehicle had a 'black box' the government and its agencies would easily be able to track movements as well as mileage. " - yes, but they are more or less able to do that anyway, cameras, ANPR, phone mast pings, Sat nav pings.

[barry1010]

The mileage on the black box would have to correspond with the mileage on the odometer - you can bet there would be a hefty fine if it didn't

[Old_Geezer]

If you want furreners to pay too, issue limited time road use licences to them.

[ToraToraTora]

bhg "That sounds easily fudgeable, TTT. If it's relying on, say, GPS you could block the signal for some journeys. I'm sure the cheats would find a way to trick it" - no doubt, as with all things there will be cheat methods but they'll get prosecuted as and when discovered.

[Old_Geezer]

They have enough problems catching mobile users when driving. Wouldn't expect a mass conviction rate for protecting one's right to privacy.

[bhg481]

I still think it would be cheaper and simpler to insist that all domestic and commercial chargers had their own meter and have a special tariff for road-use electricity. Public chargers can easily have their pricing adjusted for "fuel duty" changes.

[barry1010]

bhg, the government is trying to encourage motorists to switch to electric vehicles and cheap electricity is a major incentive.

[bhg481]

Yes, but once "everybody" is driving an electric car he needs to collect his fuel duty again. He needs to start preparing now.

[Old_Geezer]

What he needs to do is spread the tax burden more fairly, and stop looking at vehicle drivers as potential victims to be plundered.

[dave50]

The push to electric cars is ridiculous and totally impractical in the timescale that's being talked about. How the hell is everyone going to get access to a charging point considering where people live, like a block of flats for example?

[brainiac]

....and how, if we can only drive electric cars, can someone drive from, say, London to Glasgow?

[retrocop]

Once again the older car owner/driver is being demonised. Small wonder the article explains the younger generation are turning to scooters etc to get around.They certainly couldn't afford all the crippling taxes we enjoy just to get about with a degree of independence. I note who is pushing this initiative to Boris's ears.She wasn't so green when they flew off together to some paradise when Covid first took hold.

[Zacs-Master]

It's a proposed tax on all cars, not just electric ones. Shouldn't it be drivers of petrol / diesel cars who are annoyed?

[Zacs-Master]

'The push to electric cars is ridiculous and totally impractical in the timescale that's being talked about.'

The push is happening much faster than the Govt (or anyone else maybe) thought.
30% of world car sales are electric
https://www.barrons.com/articles/battery-ev-sales-to-make-up-31-of-global-market-by-2030-morgan-stanley-says-why-thats-not-higher-51603119432
60% in Norway in September
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/norway-electric-cars-majority-sales/#:~:text=Norway's%20electric%20car%20market%20is,The%20new%20Volkswagen%20ID.

[THECORBYLOON]

Why not use the same system used for fuel now and put a tax on units of electricity used to charge each vehicle?

If the charging system were designed so that domestic power supplies could not be used, that would reduce the risk of folk avoiding the tax.

[ToraToraTora]

Not practical TCL, no effective way to stop people using the mains. Even the average shed dweller could rig up the appropriate transformer. I think road pricing is the best way but no doubt they'll be looking at all ideas.

[woofgang]

corbs, not allowing folk to use their domestic supply would really put a crimp in the plans to increase use in rural areas.

[fender62]

electric charge points could have a sensor when x car is connected and registered via chipped car, then they would know where and when you charged you car and how much it cost the recharge it, i think its inevitable.

[ToraToraTora]

fender are you proposing that people somehow be prevented from charging at home? Or are you saying that they must have a government socket installed and only use that? totally impractical and the manufacturers would blow it out of the water. There is no realistic way to make it work, there is also no way to tell how the car got charged afterwards it's not like dipping the tank for diesel for example.