Hey, let’s encourage people to buy electric vehicles and hybrids because they’re all squeaky green and non-polluting then tax them extra for doing so. Yes, special hybrid and EV taxes will be sure to increase sales of these vehicles.
Texas and Oregon are considering doing this, based on the dubious logic that efficient vehicles use less gasoline which means less gasoline sales tax revenue for them, so therefore the only possible solution is to invoke special taxes for those being innovative. Never underestimate the power of governments to be mutton-headed.
From the comments at AutoBlogGreen:
Brought to you by your local Exxon supported state representatives.
The main effect on Hybrids will be a massive reduction in sales of Hybrids that get >54 MPG.
EVs are selling well below 1% of vehicles. Targeting them now will have no real effect on improving state revenues. In fact it will likely cost the states more money to set up the bureaucracy than they will get from the paltry number of EVs.