VA charges $50/year EXTRA for electric vehicle registration!

[RegGuheert]

O.K. Back to the topic at hand.

So, given that this might be coming...

Real nice huh, the change was made because electric cars don't pay gas tax
But now the governer is considering dropping the gas tax in Va

I got mine before the fee and paid up for 2 years at the normal rate
Hoping they don't bean me for it.

The OP's HCH fee might also go up too. :roll:

Over at Priuschat, someone posted the below re: Virginia.
Dumb Idea of the Week: Repealing the Gas Tax Because Too Many People Drive Priuses
http://priuschat.com/threads/dumb-idea-of-the-week-repealing-the-gas-tax-because-too-many-people-drive-priuses.120647/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dumb idea indeed. How about raising the gas tax instead?

Re our governor's plan to eliminate the gas tax, increase the sales tax by .8% to replace those funds, AND add a $100/year tax on (hybrid and) electric cars in addition to that higher registration fee - total $150 extra; ...

...perhaps we should go ahead and pay for three years. I was inclined to just pay for a year, but it sounds like the insanity may only get worse in the future.

 

[cwerdna]

Sales tax alone in California would be over $3,000...

The key word in your statement is "alone." Again, if you look at only a single tax, you can conclude we paid less tax than those in "green" states, but if I am not mistaken you got either $2500 or $5000 off of your state income taxes, assuming you had enough tax liability to cover that.

I don't have a Leaf yet, but I don't think that's right. I believe the CVRP was independent of state income taxes.

FWIW, your car registriation is cheap though. I just found my CA DMV renewal for my 06 Prius. It was $160 in total, for the year.

BTW, some states (like WA) have no state income tax.

Just for kicks, I used the calculator at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorWeb/index.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to calculate fees for a new car for CA. Here's what I got:

Transaction Date: January 31, 2013
Type of Calculation: New California Vehicle Purchase
Type of Vehicle: Automobile
Model Year: 2012
Motive Power: Electric
Purchase Date: January 01, 2012
Purchase Price: $38,000.00
County: Santa Clara
Zip Code: 95136
Current Registration: 43.00
Current California Highway Patrol: 23.00
Current Vehicle License Fee: 248.00
Current County Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies Fee: 1.00
Current Fingerprint ID Fee: 1.00
Current Auto Theft and/or DUI Crime Deterrence Program: 1.00
Current Abandoned Vehicle Fee: 1.00
Current Air Quality Management District: 6.00
Current County Transportation Projects Fee: 10.00
Alt Fuel/Tech Reg Fee: 3.00
Use/Sales Tax: 3,135.00
Reflectorized License Plate Fee: 1.00
Total Registration Fees: $338.00
Total Use/Sales Tax: $3,135.00
Grand Total Registration Fees: $3,473.00

If I change it to a gasoline powered vehicle of the same price, it's not much more $.

Transaction Date: January 31, 2013
Type of Calculation: New California Vehicle Purchase
Type of Vehicle: Automobile
Model Year: 2012
Motive Power: Gas
Purchase Date: January 01, 2012
Purchase Price: $38,000.00
County: Santa Clara
Zip Code: 95136
Current Registration: 43.00
Current California Highway Patrol: 23.00
Current Vehicle License Fee: 248.00
Current County Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies Fee: 1.00
Current Fingerprint ID Fee: 1.00
Current Smog High Polluter Repair Fee: 6.00
Original Smog Abatement: 6.00
Alt Fuel/Tech Smog Fee: 8.00
Current Auto Theft and/or DUI Crime Deterrence Program: 1.00
Current Abandoned Vehicle Fee: 1.00
Current Air Quality Management District: 6.00
Current County Transportation Projects Fee: 10.00
Alt Fuel/Tech Reg Fee: 3.00
Use/Sales Tax: 3,135.00
Reflectorized License Plate Fee: 1.00
Total Registration Fees: $358.00
Total Use/Sales Tax: $3,135.00
Grand Total Registration Fees: $3,493.00

I also tried hybrid and got the $3,473 (same as EV).

Also, our gasoline is expensive too. http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; says it's an avg of $3.728 for regular in CA vs. $3.285 in VA. But, that's of course moot for a BEV.

 

[RegGuheert]

Just for kicks, I used the calculator at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorWeb/index.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to calculate fees for a new car for CA. Here's what I got:

If I change it to a gasoline powered vehicle of the same price, it's not much more $.

So are you saying there is no $2500 rebate on a LEAF purchase in CA anymore?

 

[cwerdna]

Just for kicks, I used the calculator at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorWeb/index.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to calculate fees for a new car for CA. Here's what I got:

If I change it to a gasoline powered vehicle of the same price, it's not much more $.

So are you saying there is no $2500 rebate on a LEAF purchase in CA anymore?

There still is, that's the CVRP at http://energycenter.org/index.php/incentive-programs/clean-vehicle-rebate-project/cvrp-eligible-vehicles" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

 

[RegGuheert]

There still is, that's the CVRP at http://energycenter.org/index.php/incentive-programs/clean-vehicle-rebate-project/cvrp-eligible-vehicles" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

If you take that into consideration, it costs $973 to register the LEAF in CA or $2520 less than a gasoline car.

Of course, most of us also get $7500 back on our federal taxes.

 

[sethr]

Governor McDonnell's plan to eliminate the gas tax (replacing it with a sales tax increase) and yet charge electric vehicle owners an extra $100/year tax has just passed it's first stage in the Virginia legislature. I have written my representatives pointing out this is unfair. I would like to urge any Virginia residents on this forum to do the same. Let's speak up, please!

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Guess i have to classify VA as "rebel gray" cause the governor definitely aint green

 

[ERG4ALL]

Maybe those in VA ought to look at this and decide if they want to continue to support global warming.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/hC3VTgIPoGU?rel=0

 

[dgpcolorado]

Re our governor's plan to eliminate the gas tax, increase the sales tax by .8% to replace those funds, AND add a $100/year tax on (hybrid and) electric cars in addition to that higher registration fee - total $150 extra; is it even constitutional? What about equal treatment under the law?

Wow! If that is true and it happens, "outrageous" doesn't begin to describe it. It would appear that the oil industry owns the Virginia governor.

Here my first year registration fee for my LEAF was over $700 and the renewal is $530 since the value of the car is dropping. And I paid over $1000 in sales taxes (big city folks can pay several times that). But I also got a $5400 state tax credit, so EVs (and PHEVs) are favored by the tax code here.

 

[ericvoll]

In Missouri, we have to get a special "Special Fuel Decal" sticker every year for our LEAF's at the cost of $75. If one gets caught without the sticker in their window, it is a mandatory $500 fine.

For larger vehicles, the cost is steeper and can be as much as $1000 for a vehicle with a gross weigh of 36,000 lbs or greater.

http://dor.mo.gov/motorv/decals.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

ya, the thought that the governor is primarily singling out EVs and hybrids to take up the shortfall from the lack of gas tax revenue is not a hard thing to consider especially when a simply raising of the gas tax is really all that is required. Now, I am in favor of an EV premium fee and $50 is very reasonable especially considering its $100 in WA

but our gas taxes are much higher and I figured out that in my Prius (i used to have) I paid just over $100 in gas taxes so it pretty much equals out. drive anything less efficient and you should pay more.

 

[madbrain]

We got out vehicle registration renewal notice for the LEAF in the mail and it costs a LOT more than registering our other vehicles in VA. Here is a link to the VA DMV fees. Note the (*) note in the shaded box reads:

An additional $50 fee applies to electric vehicles.

As a result, this is what we now pay for vehicle registration on our four vehicles:

1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager: $40.75
2002 Ford E350: $45.75
2003 Honda Civic Hybrid: $40.75
2011 Nissan LEAF: $90.75

In other words, we pay more than twice what we pay for our minivan and our hybrid and almost twice what we pay for our 1-ton van. I guess VA is not a green state. :x

IMO, this is not really a fair comparison, because of the age of your other vehicles.
The registration fee is most likely based on vehicle cost, and there is an element of depreciation due to age. A 2011 Leaf is an expensive vehicle before the incentives, and the other vehicles are much older.

 

[RegGuheert]

IMO, this is not really a fair comparison, because of the age of your other vehicles.
The registration fee is most likely based on vehicle cost, and there is an element of depreciation due to age. A 2011 Leaf is an expensive vehicle before the incentives, and the other vehicles are much older.

I included a link in the OP to the document which details fees in VA. Registration fees are based on vehicle weight and type in VA, not vehicle cost or value. We pay separate taxes called personal property taxes which ARE based on vehicle value.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/9F7F7F61-7B7F-4923-A8E9-36689086A1B8/0/HybridReportJan302013.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
S roll down to the EV section. Not all is bad in VA!

 

[RegGuheert]

I got this email yesterday from the salesman who sold us our LEAF. I signed it, but since our governor is behind the bill, I seriously doubt he will line-item veto the unfair EV tax.

FYI....On an increase in registration fees for EV Vehicles. Here is the link:
https://services.myngp.com/ngponlineservices/petition.aspx?X=4hC0RDTN%2bv4%3d" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Brian At Tri-State Nissan

Delegate Scott Surovell and Senator Adam Ebbin (D-Awesomeness) have created a petition to urge Governor McDonnell to "Veto the Hybrid Tax"! The immediate goal is to get the governor to use his line item veto to remove this anti-clean energy provision from the transportation bill.

Whether this works or not, keep in mind the equally important goal of demonstrating the power of those who support clean energy and sustainability policy -- of which Virginia remains one of the most backward states, and not getting any better. Unless we speak up now, we -- and future generations -- will continue to be ignored.

As Del. Surovell summarizes the reasons to kill the green car tax, in an email to supporters

This is bad policy.

The Hybrid Tax punishes saving energy. Virginia needs to create incentives to encourage energy conservation so America can be energy independent. Most states are giving tax credits for hybrid purchases, not punishing owners.