Ford in a Model T Moment? Jim Farley Rings the Alarm Bells about Tesla

[Jimaz]

MDOT launches survey to gauge opinions on potential gas tax replacement

The Michigan Department of Transportation has launched a survey to gauge public sentiment on a road service charge. The road service charge would charge drivers a few cents per mile driven. It’s a potential replacement for the state gas tax, which accounts for around half of the state road funding.

Michael Frezell is a spokesperson for MDOT, he says the gas tax is on the decline. “Revenue has been declining over the years. Obviously, there's a push to switch to electric vehicles, more fuel efficient vehicles and the cost of maintaining the road transportation network is higher now,” he said.

He gave an example of how road service changes could be implemented “You could have a device hooked up to your vehicle that could track your mileage and report how much mileage you are using,” he said.

Frezell emphasized that the policy is only being researched, and that a law change would need legislative approval. “We have nothing implemented right now and I want to make the point that any changes to the funding system would have to be approved by policy, by law, by our state legislature, and governor.”

The survey would take 10 to 15 minutes. Respondents would receive a $10 gift card for their participation. If participants are interested they can sign up to participate in a pilot demonstration program. Incentives for participation would range from $75 to $500.

The survey runs through March 1.

• Road Usage Charges

[EASTSIDER BALDUCK]

Does not apply to the 13 states.
[[Federal/states rights)
30%+ sales are in these states.

cliff

[Richard]

It’s not that simple as just throwing EVs on the road.

A Hummer EV weighs in at 9000 lbs
A Ford lighting F150 weighs 1600 lbs more then a ICE F 150
Hybrid’s are worse,batteries plus engine weight.
The Rivian weighs almost 4 tons.8000 lbs

My 1991 GMC 1 ton with a steel stake bed and lift gate on the back goes across the scales @ 7400 lbs,it’s $150 more per year because of its weight class for registration renewal then my car.

I have to use 10 ply tires in order to safely carry the load which are expensive,remember the Ford explorer fiasco with them blowing out tires?

The tires installed did not match the weight of the vehicle,but I am not aware of the cost difference between the tires of an EV versus ICE,but you definitely could not use the same tires on a Lightning verses a ICE F150

Safety guard rails along the freeways are designed based on average weight,when it comes to EVs they are no longer effective.

Law of physics - Same vehicle but one EV and one ICE the EV will have the advantage as the weight gets transferred to the lighter vehicle on impact.

Safety crash testing will have to be changed and ICE vehicles will have to be able to absorb a greater impact.

Go to COPART auto salvage auction,you can buy EVs that appear to be in perfect condition but have been totaled out over the most simplest but very expensive to repair issues.

Some are modular design,you cannot just pop a dent out because that whole section is integrated into the entire structure and is a structural component.

You have to change that complete module which is like 1/4 of the entire car,which you would have to completely disassemble the entire vehicle back to that empty shell on the assembly line when it was first built in order to repair it.

First you would have to have the equipment to do that,which at this point nobody does but the factory,so a simple fender bender can easily total your vehicle out.

Which is going to make insurance rates go through the roof.

It is beginning to look like when it is all said and done,it’s going to end up costing a lot more to own and operate an EV verses ICE,one can argue based on today but they are really still in their testing phase and only represents a tiny portion of the vehicles on the road.

I am kinda thinking that the Chinese will end up prevailing in all of this,because like everything else,the majority of the future EV market will be forced to buy cheap EVs and just throw them away every couple of years because it would not be the cost to purchase ,it will be the cost of everything that comes after that.

Sure the cost of batteries will go down,but at what point does it get when the average family raising kids will not be able to afford a $10k battery replacement with little notice,54% of the population cannot come up with $1000 in an emergency.

At that time it will become an emergency,1/2 the population will not be able to afford a vehicle,we need to look at implementing mass transit so people can get to work and feed their families.

But it will not happen until it becomes a crisis and some politician will get elected base on promises to fix the problem.