OREGON OBSERVATIONS.1 9 JANUARY 2023

Here’s how ODOT plans to replace the gas tax for electric cars. Commonsensers knew this was coming because, since the beginning of the EV craze, the question has been – what’s going to replace the state tax (38¢) and federal tax (18.4¢) per gallon that goes towards maintenance and construction of roads, bridges, and infrastructure? Let’s do the math. Assuming your vehicle (like mine) has a 26-gallon fuel tank, the government’s share of your fuel cost would be $14.04 per tank. When I was still working, I budgeted enough money to fill up four times a month, or $56.16 in the government’s pocket. These numbers assume the tank was empty during each trip to the pump, which obviously wasn’t, but I digress. The current state program is getting 2¢ a mile from the EV-driving volunteers enrolled in their program. Now for the comparison: Assuming a low average of 20 MPG and an empty tank at fill-up, each tank would allow 520 miles of travel. If an EV could even GO 520 miles between charges, under OReGO, those miles would net the state $10.40, and the feds would get zero to maintain their interstate highway system. A fossil fuel fill-up would give the state and the feds a total of $14.66. Do you see the disconnect? The state’s already screaming that they don’t have enough money coming in to maintain the roads they’ve got, much less build new ones, so how is bringing in (using numbers from the above example) $4.26 less per tank of driving going to make that better? While the EV fanatics will point to the low cost comparisons of home charging, they won’t talk about charging costs when you’re out on the road and have to use an L3 charger that’ll cost $30 per charge (and an hour of your time you’ll never get back). A trip from Newport to Ontario would take 2 ½ charges ($60 and 2 ½ hours). BTW – this trip info is hypothetical. In reality, the numbers are MUCH higher because if driven today, one would have to locate charging stations en route, exponentially increasing cost and time. Another fun fact: There’s not much to do for that hour of charging halfway to Ontario except watch the jackrabbits chase tumbleweeds.

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