Car tax (again)

[Alex321]

I thought the whole point of driving an EV was not to touch the brakes apart from when you're pushing/tailgating the car in front down the motorway?

Yes, I though that braking in EVs was far less than in ICE vehicles due to so-called "regenerative braking". Which doesn't actually use the brakes at all, but slows the vehicle by generating power from the turning wheels rather than turning them by applying power.

And even when you depress the brake pedal, the actual brakes are only applied when the amount of slowing required is more than can be provided by regenerative braking.

And also, while most EVs have far higher acceleration potential than similar powered ICE vehicles, that is just a natural function of the way electric motors work - and most of the ones I see on the roads don't seem to be driven to really take advantage of that higher potential.

 

[raleighnut]

But relatively speaking, if you can afford to run a high powered/luxury car then the cost of fuel for such people is insignificant, whereas the rest of us still have to put up with the emissions and the effects on climate change. It's probable that in the coming decades any internal combustion vehicle will become a luxury vehicle as successive governments pump up internal combustion vehicle tax and fossil fuel tax as an incentive to make drivers use more environmentally friendly transport. In fact, the concept of private transport itself might become a thing that you will talk to your grandchildren about in wonder unless something better than an electric vehicle using scarce resources and precious metals for its batteries can be developed. Electric vehicles themselves might be seen as a stop gap measure as they are likely to price themselves out of the reach of ordinary people, despite the supposed economies of scale as they become more common.

If everybody in Britain stopped driving it would have a miniscule effect on global warming, yeah sure air quality here would improve slightly but people still need to travel to work so public transport vehicles would need to increase dramatically plus delivery vehicles for food/goods

 

[Badger_Boom]

Factor in the vehicle’s volume as well to discourage the proliferation of massive wankpanzers in urban environments, and encourage the production of cars that are no bigger than they really need to be.

How would that be calculated, and who would get to decide the correct size? A car for a family of four with a dog and their luggage for a fortnights holiday might 'need to be' a bit bigger than a single person making the same journey or even a daily commute.

 

[Badger_Boom]

If everybody in Britain stopped driving it would have a miniscule effect on global warming, yeah sure air quality here would improve slightly but people still need to travel to work so public transport vehicles would need to increase dramatically plus delivery vehicles for food/goods

When most people stopped driving during the first lockdown, air quality improved dramatically.

 

[Drago]

I understand the relationship between kerb weight and the wear and tear to road surfaces is not linear, so the @Drago quotient needs tweaking accordingly, to encourage lightweight cars that dont exacerbate the pothole issue.

My BEng is electrical/electronic so i'll defer to others on the exact equation.

So the Drago Quotient applied to road surface damage by means of the Lazybloke Equation?

 

[raleighnut]

When most people stopped driving during the first lockdown, air quality improved dramatically.

Yep but most people were not going to work or on holiday or visiting friends so a bit of a false condition

 

[newts]

It should be on the amount of miles you do each year

We're already paying by mileage with the existing high taxes on fuel.

 

[FishFright]

Double it every year, nice and simple. Otherwise you'll all keep driving as much as you do .

 

[Drago]

We're already paying by mileage with the existing high taxes on fuel.

Ah, but that's the while point if the exercise. Fuel duty is going to dry up as the use of fuel itself diminishes, hence the Drago Quotient (tm) stepping in to provide a proportionate alternative.

 

[fossyant]

It should be on the amount of miles you do each year

That would be a good starter. Costs me a fortune for my car. Only do £3,000 miles, at £240(ish) - 8p per mile !

 

[lazybloke]

So the Drago Quotient applied to road surface damage by means of the Lazybloke Equation?

Coefficient of laziness equals the number of tyres divided by their diameter in furlongs, multiplied by number of scotch eggs in your lunchbox (alis that the Linford number?), subtract the number you first thought of.... Don't know where I'm going with this.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

How would that be calculated, and who would get to decide the correct size? A car for a family of four with a dog and their luggage for a fortnights holiday might 'need to be' a bit bigger than a single person making the same journey or even a daily commute.

Car buyers will decide. They will have to weigh up if they really do need that bloated SUV or would manage with something smaller. Accordingly, buyer decides based on need and funds available.

 

[Emanresu]

What about Road Pricing based on MOT mileage. Instead of cameras you have MOT stations equipped to accurately measure miles if clocked. Less cost to HMRC as cost on MOT stations

 

[Drago]

And the Drago Quotient (tm) will give buyers incentive to think carefully about what "need" really means.

 

[Drago]

What about Road Pricing based on MOT mileage. Instead of cameras you have MOT stations equipped to accurately measure miles if clocked. Less cost to HMRC as cost on MOT stations

That'll see a nice trade in used speedo heads being swapped in and out pre-MOT time.