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On 10/16/2018 at 7:04 AM, NorthSideSox72 said:

OK. Makes sense to start something like that, but the amount isn't going to cover it in the long run and that's state, not federal. Maybe that is better in the end, to start pushing infra down more to the states, but that's a whole other can of worms. Thanks for the link. Will be very curious to see how this goes.

I think it should be based on miles driven and applied when the vehicle is registered annually. 

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13 hours ago, iamshack said:

I think it should be based on miles driven and applied when the vehicle is registered annually. 

Would be ideal if you could get a reliable number, but how do you do that? You'd have to require people every year to bring their car to a facility to have it checked for mileage. That could make for an expensive program and kind of a pain. It's the most fair I agree, just not sure it is practical.

I'd actually be in favor of more toll roads. Like, all highways being toll roads. And get rid of the gas tax.

 

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11 hours ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

Would be ideal if you could get a reliable number, but how do you do that? You'd have to require people every year to bring their car to a facility to have it checked for mileage. That could make for an expensive program and kind of a pain. It's the most fair I agree, just not sure it is practical.

I'd actually be in favor of more toll roads. Like, all highways being toll roads. And get rid of the gas tax.

 

I suspect that would be a pretty simple app to develop.

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  • 6 months later...

Getting close to the finish line for ordering my Model 3. I just completing buying a home a couple of weeks ago, so I have the green light to buy the car, I'm just waiting closer to the end of the quarter to see if Elon decides to spice up the offer to boost Q2 numbers, especially after Q1 had such terrible numbers relatively speaking. 

In the time I've been waiting, the MR battery (the middle option) went away. That really put me in a bad mood for a while about everything because it meant I had to decide to spend $6K more on the LR RWD battery, or spend $2K less on the SR+ battery, but lose out on the premium interior and 20 miles of range. The range wasn't any issue, but losing out on the highest audio package which included a subwoofer, and losing internet streaming music was a bummer for me. I hemmed and hawed about trying to push myself to spend more and more. But then not only did the price of Full Self Driving go up $1K, but they also removed the LR RWD option as well, which then pushed me to have to go up another $2K. So now the different between LR AWD (Most expensive Model 3) and the SR+, is $10K. And for $10K, I have decided I can deal with a lesser audio experience (still the best I will ever have in a car by far), and will just have to use my phone's bluetooth for streaming music or TuneIn radio. I'll use $1000 or so in savings to get the windows tinted, a protective paint wrap or spray, a second charging cable to take with me at all times, nice floor mats, automatic struts for the frunk, and other add-ons I can do to the car.

Still looking at almost $52K for the car after taxes and destination fees. Still scares the hell out of me. But luckily I've been saving for about 41 months now and my car payments will be under $300 with a 60-month loan, about $250 if I make it 72 months instead. 

Bought a house, about to get my dream car, likely getting engaged by the end of the year. Pretty exciting and stressful times for me right now. lol

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  • 3 weeks later...

I drive a 2004 Dodge Dakota base 4x4 model with a the older Dodge 3.7L V6.   It's alright got a decent deal on it from a private seller about 5 years ago.   Engine only has 105K miles on it just replaced water pump, serpentine belt, battery, spark plugs, distributor cap and spark plug wires on it a few thousand miles ago.  The suspension is absolute shit although all my Forest Service road driving doesn't help.  I've replaced the wheel bearings, tie rods, shocks and ball joints in the the last year.  About $2K worth of work for the suspension and another 1K for the engine work.  It's nice and reliable since I got the work done and that will probably be the last money I put into it.  It's been good to me and as noted put some tough miles on it going out hiking and backpacking in the PNW.

Blue Book on it it's like $2-4K (interior is in good shape all the power windows and locks shit is working and I put in a nice head unit).  I think I'm just going to trade it in a few years when it needs more work and get another truck.  Not sure what model but budget will probably be around 10-15k.  Don't like taking long car loans like to pay mostly in cash.  Maybe a F150, seems like Ford is making decent trucks again.

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On 10/18/2018 at 9:04 AM, NorthSideSox72 said:

Would be ideal if you could get a reliable number, but how do you do that? You'd have to require people every year to bring their car to a facility to have it checked for mileage. That could make for an expensive program and kind of a pain. It's the most fair I agree, just not sure it is practical.

I'd actually be in favor of more toll roads. Like, all highways being toll roads. And get rid of the gas tax.

 

quoting an old post but I agree with this sentiment.  I don't like Toll roads, but right now EVs don't pay a gas tax despite being harder on infrastructure than the equivalent size ICE vehicle (EVs are really heavy).  

  • Haha 1
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6 hours ago, Eloy Jiménez said:

quoting an old post but I agree with this sentiment.  I don't like Toll roads, but right now EVs don't pay a gas tax despite being harder on infrastructure than the equivalent size ICE vehicle (EVs are really heavy).  

I don't think EV's are going to be any heavier - you add battery and take away engine etc. Any difference would be negligible anyway. But I agree, the gas tax concept starts to fail as more EV's hit the road.

 

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33 minutes ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

I don't think EV's are going to be any heavier - you add battery and take away engine etc. Any difference would be negligible anyway. But I agree, the gas tax concept starts to fail as more EV's hit the road.

 

Those with larger batteries are heavier, but I’m not sure it’s a meaningful impact on roads. 

No issue with paying a tax, but how about the idea that I’m not contributing as much CO2 into the environment? EV owners are saving public healthcare dollars.

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5 hours ago, iamshack said:

Those with larger batteries are heavier, but I’m not sure it’s a meaningful impact on roads. 

No issue with paying a tax, but how about the idea that I’m not contributing as much CO2 into the environment? EV owners are saving public healthcare dollars.

Gas tax is for infrastructure, not a sin tax for the environment.  Regardless of which you think is heavier, they're close enough they put equivalent strain on infrastructure.

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14 minutes ago, Eloy Jiménez said:

Gas tax is for infrastructure, not a sin tax for the environment.  Regardless of which you think is heavier, they're close enough they put equivalent strain on infrastructure.

Not the point I was making

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I drove a top of the line, fully-loaded 2018 Tesla Model S and was absolutely floored. I am not a car guy but that thing was incredible. 100k should get you a nice car but going 0-60 in seconds without making any noises was something unimaginable.

I've been in a few corvettes, a viper, a lotus, a 2018 Ford GT (second best car I've ever been in), the LE hellcat challenger and a few different Shelby mustangs -  the Tesla S series blows them all away. Full disclosure I am a car idiot.

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Someone asked me how much the registration will cost on the car, and being someone who has never bought a car before, and always had old cars, I shrugged my shoulders. She laughed and said "Okay, have fun with that!". Got curious and looked up registration on the car. Holy shiiiiiiiit. Looks like it will be about $700 for the first year. Then like $460 the following year, and dropping about $50 a year every year after that. Oh my fuck. Then there is also the $150 EV additional tax. 

I guess what I don't understand is, why do I have to pay such a crazy high price for a newer, high priced car? What difference does it make? They aren't offering my insurance on the car. They aren't protecting it in any way. So what does the value and age of it matter for registering the vehicle with the state of Indiana? 

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I think different states do registrations costs differently. In Illinois it's a flat $101 for most vehicles. At least is was until they just voted to increase it by $50.

I think electric vehicles are $250/year to make up for what they aren't paying in the gas taxes.

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14 minutes ago, Iwritecode said:

I think different states do registrations costs differently. In Illinois it's a flat $101 for most vehicles. At least is was until they just voted to increase it by $50.

I think electric vehicles are $250/year to make up for what they aren't paying in the gas taxes.

That was my understanding as well. In Nevada, it’s based on MSRP, so if you purchase/lease a fairly expensive car, it’s really a bit of a punch in the mouth. You can deduct this from federal income taxes, however. But in Illinois, at least previously, it used to be very reasonable (for once).

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2 hours ago, iamshack said:

That was my understanding as well. In Nevada, it’s based on MSRP, so if you purchase/lease a fairly expensive car, it’s really a bit of a punch in the mouth. You can deduct this from federal income taxes, however. But in Illinois, at least previously, it used to be very reasonable (for once).

That's apparently what it is in Indiana too, based on MSRP. And being that my car is over $42,500, I am put in the very highest bracket. 

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