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

[RegGuheert]

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

 

[kmp647]

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.

 

[cwerdna]

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?

 

[sethr]

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?

 

[TomT]

No, it actually makes sense since those who use the roads are the ones who should pay the road taxes... A fee based on miles driven times vehicle weight would be the most fair...

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

 

[ebill3]

Oh, quit moaning.

In WA we pay an extra $100 a year for a BEV, plus, depending where you live, a healthy fee to fund mass transit.
For the LEAF, that transit excise tax for me is $92, and for the Tesla due next month, $164.

And, if you have an ICE, we have one of the highest gas tax rates.

 

[RegGuheert]

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...

Let me get this straight: not only am I paying more to drive an efficient car, they are reducing the cost to drive inefficient cars?! :evil:

 

[sethr]

Oh, quit moaning.

In WA we pay an extra $100 a year for a BEV, plus, depending where you live, a healthy fee to fund mass transit.
And, if you have an ICE, we have one of the highest gas tax rates.

IMO, a fee to compensate for not paying gas taxes is no where near as bad as what is being done in Virginia - WA is equalizing things, VA is just picking on H/BEV owners unfairly. That's the part I object to: unfairness.

 

[RegGuheert]

IMO, a fee to compensate for not paying gas taxes is no where near as bad as what is being done in Virginia - WA is equalizing things, VA is just picking on H/BEV owners unfairly. That's the part I object to: unfairness.

It's much worse than unfair. It is pandering to a large, entrenched industry which is poisoning our environment and killing our children in overseas wars to secure its supply. Bob McDonell must really be tied into big oil in a massive way to want to restructure tax laws to encourage as much oil use as possible and to eschew the use of alternative technologies.

 

[ebill3]

Oh, quit moaning.

In WA we pay an extra $100 a year for a BEV, plus, depending where you live, a healthy fee to fund mass transit.
And, if you have an ICE, we have one of the highest gas tax rates.

IMO, a fee to compensate for not paying gas taxes is no where near as bad as what is being done in Virginia - WA is equalizing things, VA is just picking on H/BEV owners unfairly. That's the part I object to: unfairness.

Well, let's see if your governor's plan flys; but right now, you have it pretty good. Ninety bucks a year to register a LEAF is a steal compared to many other places.

 

[RegGuheert]

Well, let's see if your governor's plan flys; but right now, you have it pretty good. Ninety bucks a year to register a LEAF is a steal compared to many other places.

We also pay personal property taxes here, so taxation for a LEAF is higher up front and every year compared to a comparable gasoline vehicle. Didn't you pay $0 for sales tax on your LEAF when you purchased it?

Edit: Fixed quote.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

WA raised the tax and charged $100fod EVs

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?

 

[cwerdna]

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?

In some (many?) states, the registration fees are based upon the value of the vehicle, in addition to other factors. Some are listed at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffvr10.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, for CA.

IMO, a fee to compensate for not paying gas taxes is no where near as bad as what is being done in Virginia - WA is equalizing things, VA is just picking on H/BEV owners unfairly. That's the part I object to: unfairness.

It's much worse than unfair. It is pandering to a large, entrenched industry which is poisoning our environment and killing our children in overseas wars to secure its supply. Bob McDonell must really be tied into big oil in a massive way to want to restructure tax laws to encourage as much oil use as possible and to eschew the use of alternative technologies.

Yep.

 

[RegGuheert]

Ninety bucks a year to register a LEAF is a steal compared to many other places.

Registration is just one of many taxes we pay on vehicles in VA. For your reference, here are the taxes we have paid on our LEAF since we purchased it on March 16, 2012:

At purchase (Total $1188.43)
Sales tax: $1059.11
Gross rec tax: $68.57
License & Title: $60.75

2012 Other Taxes ($676.31)
County license: $25.00
Property Tax Prorated First payment: $217.10
Property Tax for Second 6 months : $434.21

Total LEAF taxes for first 10 months of ownership: $1864.74

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that no one paid that much tax for their first year of LEAF ownership in WA state, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Do you still think this is a steal?

 

[ebill3]

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that no one paid that much tax for their first year of LEAF ownership in WA state, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Do you still think this is a steal?

Well, we can bat the numbers around all day, but as I review the opening post, it was carping about a $50.00 fee added for a BEV.

Now you have added in all kinds of other fees and taxes, that are payable for all vehicles in VA, which changes the thread direction. Yes, you do pay a lot to own a vehicle - any vehicle - in VA. But, under your current schedules, it appears you only pay $50.00 a year more for a BEV, which isn't that bad.

I almost hate to admit that in WA we have a rather high sales tax rate, but BEVs are exempted.

 

[RegGuheert]

But, under your current schedules, it appears you only pay $50.00 a year more for a BEV, which isn't that bad.

I would gladly pay an extra $100/year tax if I had already received over $3000 of tax break at signing like you did. In other words, you are NOT paying more taxes than an ICE owner, you are paying less.

And apparently our governor is trying to transfer the gas taxes from the drivers of gas guzzlers to me in the form of MORE sales tax AND more registration tax. It's time to purchase more goods from neighboring states and less from VA (except GAS!).

 

[ebill3]

OK, the last word is yours. Well maybe not - I never did say I was paying more than an ICE owner. But, peace, and good evening. Going to sip an adult beverage before dinner.

Bill

 

[TomT]

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

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

WA is a green state. We do not pay the $3000+ (9 % and up) sales tax because its EV. up until july of 2009, you ciuld alsobuy a Prius with no sales tax...so u paid about $1800 more in taxes than we did....more or less

Ninety bucks a year to register a LEAF is a steal compared to many other places.

Registration is just one of many taxes we pay on vehicles in VA. For your reference, here are the taxes we have paid on our LEAF since we purchased it on March 16, 2012:

At purchase (Total $1188.43)
Sales tax: $1059.11
Gross rec tax: $68.57
License & Title: $60.75

2012 Other Taxes ($676.31)
County license: $25.00
Property Tax Prorated First payment: $217.10
Property Tax for Second 6 months : $434.21

Total LEAF taxes for first 10 months of ownership: $1864.74

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that no one paid that much tax for their first year of LEAF ownership in WA state, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Do you still think this is a steal?

 

[RegGuheert]

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.