Gas Tax: Good idea, but "no political interest"
Plug-in adoption to be slow and gradualIn the past week Nissan/Renault head, Carlos Ghosn has been on an EV publicity tour. Yesterday, however, Ghosn seemed to take a more tempered approach towards electric vehicles.
"We're not going to take the market by storm," said Ghosn at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. "Electricity is going to complement oil."
Still, Ghosn believes that EVs could reach 10 percent worldwide marketshare by 2020, one of the higher estimates in the industry.
At the same meeting Steve Rattner, one time leader of the Obama Auto Task Force, was asked about a gas tax.
"It's obviously what we should do," Rattner said. "There's no political will. There's no political interest."
Labels: electric cars
posted by Dahcredyns at
8:16 AM
11 Comments:
That about sums it up.
2008 proved that there is a gasoline price point where Americans will change their behavior.
In Europe, Japan, and even Canada, they had the political will to raise gasoline taxes to the point that they would impact consumer behavior and raise revenues for alternative technologies, infrastructure etc. As a result of that politcal will, those countries have surpassed the US when it comes to alternative fuels, highway and railway infrastructure, and their consumers behave in a manner that will actually help the environment.
Meanwhile in the US, thanks to our "lack of poitlical will" we continue to fall further and further behind the rest of the world
Why do we consume 25% of the world's produced oil every day?
Because we "choose" to do so.....
And, in many ways, it's even worse today.
The US auto industry needs a serious uptick in US auto sales to be truly viable in North America. That means consumption.
Chances are that a gas tax would probably limit consumption more than no gas tax. Even worse, it might change consumer behavior away from some of the Big 3's most important sale's segments and profits.
A gas tax is political suicide today.
Nonetheless, I'd really love to see a career politician find faith and take up this cause. Office would be lost, of course, but it would certainly create real attention towards this issue.
America really needs to kick start this conversation. Long term a gas tax would be very beneficial. Short term there are many ways to offset the costs, especially for those most hurt by such a tax increase.
Such a plan, I believe, can be sold to the people, but only after the politics have been taken out of it.
It's just so obvious if you step back and look at the big picture and extrapolate it into the future.
Hmm, are we really worse today in the sense that we need a serious uptick in US auto sales?
I thought the whole point of the bankruptcy was to reorganize GM and Chrysler such that they could survive a worse case scenario of a much smaller annual auto car market in the US. I also understood that the new GM needed to show viability under tougher CAFE rules and not be dependent upon SUVs and gas guzzlers.
I'm not saying that the problem is solved, but I do think Detroit is much better able to survive with a gas tax than they were 1 year ago. In fact, haven't auto execs basically said they are OK with a gas tax, as long as they got the govt funding to support the changes in their vehicle line up? Again that doesn't make a gas tax a reality, but is Detroit more or less of a problem now? I think less.
relatively speaking i would say we are worse off than we were in 2007, especially in terms of the health of the Big 3 and its correlation to a gas tax.
are we worse off than just before bankruptcy? obviously not. and we've already invested $80+ billion into GM and Chrysler for that mistake.
but we're not nearly out of the woods yet, and GM has been pretty vocal about the need for a certain baseline of total US auto sales needed, minimally, for North American viability.
even at that minimum many economists disagree that GM can be viable.
while we're close to GM's minimum today, there are still many issues, especially if you're talking about the kinds of profits that will enable GM and Chrysler to pay back their debts to the taxpayer.
here's ta recent edmunds article on the subject.
ultimately, the best path to GM and Chrysler's success is a significant uptick in sales. most politicians, i'd be willing to make an ass of myself and assume, would see lower energy prices as a key to the Big 3's success.
I see what your saying.
Near term viability on the one hand.
Medium term positioning for a "gas tax" on the other.
I still feel that in the medium term we are better off than in 2007 in terms of Detroit's ability to support a gas tax type policy. But that could be wishful thinking, because yes the near term risks can block any movement toward a gas tax type policy.
in theory i think you're right, especially if thoughtfully constructed.
still, imagine the arsenal of scare tactics those w/ opposing views would have at their disposal.
I also think the "short term" is less of an issue with GM's and Chrysler's bankruptcies.
GM in addition to downsizing to deal with reduced auto sales, has offloaded health care for retirees, beginning in 2010. This is end of a major burden for GM. They are more primed to deal with a gas tax now than they ever were.
Chrysler's acquisition by Fiat gives them the ability to weather a gas tax as well.
All 3 have numerous alternative fuel products in the works. A gas tax that provides increased funding will help speed these products to market.
I say the opportunity is here now.
Is there a politician out there who is brave enough to take up the cause?
indigo incarnates
a gas tax has got to be cheaper -- in the long run -- than funding middle-east wars. Bush/Cheney thought that the war in Iraq would "pay for itself" by stealing the Iraqis' oil reserve.
I'd really love to see a career politician find faith and take up this cause. Office would be lost, of course, but it would certainly create real attention towards this issue.
America really needs to kick start this conversation. Long term a gas tax would be very beneficial. Short term there are many ways to offset the costs, especially for those most hurt by such a tax increase.
If indeed there is no political will....The question is:
What will it take to get that political will?
Another terrorist attack?
Another war?
A 3rd oil crisis?
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