California Might Start Charging You for Driving a Heavy Vehicle

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

California is looking to further its push for more eco-friendly roads. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that lawmakers are considering a new mandate that would charge additional weight-based registration fees to drivers who own heavy cars, trucks, or SUVs.

Currently, California is only one of a few other states that charge registration fees based on the value of a vehicle rather than its weight; 14 other states charge owners vehicle registration fees based on weight. That could change if a new bill is passed.

Chris Ward, an assembly member from San Diego, has proposed AB251. Rather than jump right in and implement weight-based registration fees, the bill would have the California Transportation Commission study whether or not these new registration fees would work, along with the potential benefits that come with them, mainly money. The study would look at how much revenue the state could generate from these fees, which would then go to pay for street improvement projects across the state.

More importantly, the study would also look at the correlation between heavy vehicles and traffic fatalities, something that more and more are becoming aware of as more and more EVs appear on the country’s roads. In a statement to The Chronicle, Assemblyman Ward noted that state officials are aware of this. “We know there are studies suggesting fatality rates can be higher for crashes involving heavier vehicles — especially models weighing several thousand pounds,” he said in a statement.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/california-might-start-charging-you-for-driving-a-heavy-vehicle/ar-AA17AzBd

[Throck]

1. Won't this penalize EV owners?

The batteries in EV's add a significant amount of weight

[2naSalit]

3. That would be the biggest drawback...

That I can see. Those are heavy, perhaps a set aside that is temporary, like the first three years... maybe?

Otherwise it's not a bad idea.

[MichMan]

6. If the extra weight causes more wear and damage to roads, then why not?

The road surface doesn't care what type of powerplant is driving on it.

[2naSalit]

7. True.

[Auggie]

9. EV owners could be excluded, or pay less. I'd like to see horsepower included too.

[MichMan]

11. Why should EV owners be exempted from the damage their heavy vehicles cause to the roads?

[2naSalit]

2. I think it's a great idea.

People should have a clue, with an annual reminder, of how heavy their vehicle is for numerous reasons.

Commercial carriers already pay road use taxes based on weight, of the freight plus the weight of the vehicle. Also get taxed for fuel more than once for the same gallon.

I have an SUV style vehicle, one that I noticed is very popular in California, and it weighs two tons. It's a 4 cylinder engine, weighs 1,000lbs more than the other one that's a 6 cylinder engine.

With the volume of traffic on the roads of that state, it's probably a good idea. Last time I lived there, it was like I had to pay the sales tax for the sticker price of the car every year. I would rather have the $$ designated to road maint. and construction.

With that said, California has some of the better roads and hwy systems that I've seen in the country for many reasons. The worst part is that they don't seem to want trucks to exist on them. Have to pay to use them but we'll make it suck for you.

[jimfields33]

5. But the traffic is the biggest issue.

If they could get the cars moving that would also help with the environment.

[CoopersDad]

4. We lost our way when CAFE standards were relaxed in the 1990s...

Remember when there were no big trucks, except for commercial vehicles?

Artificially low fuel prices and deregulation gave us the monster truck world in which we live today.

[MichMan]

8. CAFE standards were partially to blame

Bigger Trucks were not required to meet the fuel economy standards that cars were. People that still wanted bigger vehicles moved towards trucks.

[CoopersDad]

10. We agree, the exemptions offered to light trucks is to blame.

My point being that the relaxation of regulations of CAFE standards let not only to flooding the marking with trucks and SUVs, which were exempted, but also the loss of smarter form factors, like station wagons which competed with SUVs, especially.

I had a 1996 Camry wagon, the last year it was available in the US-- it was still produced for other countries, might still be today.

[MichMan]

12. Michigan changed to charging by original sticker price instead of weight decades ago

Because cars were getting lighter in the 70's and 80's due to CAFE, while sticker prices kept going up. They wanted to make sure the government got the $$ one way or another.