Michigan Secretary of State - Tag Renewal Fee - WOW!!

[F150guy]

Yeah it seems that way but when you consider that the state fuel tax is 52.4 cents per gallon it's like buying ~510 gallons of gas.

At 20mpg it gets you about 10,200 miles.

Since I put 28k on my truck last year I came out way ahead cost wise and under contributed to much needed road repairs...

Not a fan of mileage based taxing because I want the government to know as little as possible about my use... But taxing the gas more tends to hurt lower income because the vehicles that cost less also get poorer milage on the whole (with in a given class of vehicles).

Fairest would probably be axle weight and mileage based. Perhaps tax tires...I don't know the right answer for road funding in michigan but I'm ok paying the $267.

Sadly, its tolls

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[RickLightning]

Michigan, Minnesota, California, Washington....Hmmm?!?
I'd make a political comment right about now, but alas I'm not allowed.

It's good you didn't, because your conclusion, if based on what you wrote, would be erroneous.

40 states have implemented EV fees. 40. I haven't gone through the list to see how many are one political bent vs. another, and that has no place here - but those 4 are 1/10th of the list.

 

[chl]

It's good you didn't, because your conclusion, if based on what you wrote), would be erroneous.

40 states have implemented EV fees. 40. I haven't gone through the list to see how many are one political bent vs. another, and that has no place here - but those 4 are 1/10th of the list.

Hard to see any political pattern there in this map from Plugin America.

Texas has the highest tax penalty compared to gas taxes for driving an EV along with NJ.

Could be because the gas taxes are lower or the EV 'tax' higher, hard to say without the raw numbers.

 

[RickLightning]

Hard to see any political pattern there in this map from Plugin America.

Texas has the highest tax penalty compared to gas taxes for driving an EV along with NJ.

Could be because the gas taxes are lower or the EV 'tax' higher, hard to say without the raw numbers.

A simple search shows you the answer - is the highest EV tax AS COMPARED TO its gas tax.

That is NOT the same as the HIGHEST EV TAX/FEE.

Michigan is $267 for a year.
Texas is $400 initially, then $200 renewal, FOR TWO YEARS.

Therefore, Texas gas tax must be lower than Michigan's. Yup - 20 cents versus Michigan's 52.4 cents per gallon.

So Texas is $100 per year, versus 20 cents a gallon. Breakeven is 500 gallons.
Michigan is $267 per year, vs. $0.524 per gallon. Breakeven is 509.54 gallons.

To be that RED, they must be improperly using the $400 initial fee in Texas.

 

[ridgebackpilot]

California’s annual registration is much more expensive, as others have said. That’s because the state front loads road taxes that ICE drivers pay through gas taxes.

The only way to make this system fairer would be for the state to monitor how much we drive each year and charge road tax accordingly. But most people don’t want big brother watching their driving habits!

 

[RickLightning]

California’s annual registration is much more expensive, as others have said. That’s because the state front loads road taxes that ICE drivers pay through gas taxes.

The only way to make this system fairer would be for the state to monitor how much we drive each year and charge road tax accordingly. But most people don’t want big brother watching their driving habits!

But you can't use that term - "annual registration". Registration fees are sometimes based on VALUE, sometimes based on WEIGHT, etc. All that matters is - what does your state charge for an EV that they don't charge for a gas vehicle.

California has a Road Improvement Fee of $121. That also have a Transportation Improvement Fee that ALL VEHICLES pay based on value, as well as a Vehicle License Fee of 0.65% of value, plus more.

But if the only EV-related fee is $121, then California is CHEAP for EVs right now.

 

[chl]

A simple search shows you the answer - is the highest EV tax AS COMPARED TO its gas tax.

That is NOT the same as the HIGHEST EV TAX/FEE.

Michigan is $267 for a year.
Texas is $400 initially, then $200 renewal, FOR TWO YEARS.

Therefore, Texas gas tax must be lower than Michigan's. Yup - 20 cents versus Michigan's 52.4 cents per gallon.

So Texas is $100 per year, versus 20 cents a gallon. Breakeven is 500 gallons.
Michigan is $267 per year, vs. $0.524 per gallon. Breakeven is 509.54 gallons.

To be that RED, they must be improperly using the $400 initial fee in Texas.

Yes, I figured as much, but too much trouble to look every state up and get the bottom line.

Still, I'd guess the roads in Michigan with very cold winters and warm summers (temperature delta) are more expensive to maintain, so I think that the actual cost of road maintenance is the probably the primary driver of the road taxes there, "not politics."

Though we should always remember that it is a lot easier to tax middle-class people at the pump who can't afford high-powered lobbyists than it is to tax billionaires who fill the coffers of PACs and think tanks, and who actually write the tax laws we have to live with....the best (worst) politicians money can buy?

But it's only money, you can't take it with you in the end, unless you're King Tut I suppose.

 

[EFG]

The EV registration charge in the Free State of Florida remains: drum-roll... $0

On the other hand, minimal financial encouragement for EV infrastructure by the state either, which is likely why there hasn't been a successful push yet to institute one, yet.

Everybody "mostly" pays for their own choices here, mostly...

There is a property tax removal for all taxes except school on the ballot for this fall as well, Looks pretty likely to pass the 60% state constitution supermajority required. The state runs at a surplus.

FL remains a pretty good place to own an EV in general and a Lightning specifically.

 

[roddiaz1]

It's good you didn't, because your conclusion, if based on what you wrote, would be erroneous.

Rick, you're 100% right.
I was suprised when I saw the post with the maps. Not what I expected.
I would have retracted my statement, but luckily, I didn't make one (for once!).

All that said, I will be registering my truck in Florida even though I live in PA. Just gotta figure out how to swing it.

 

[Firn]

At least here registration is a set price. Pricing it on vehicle value is straight up robbery, the fee is for the administrative act of registering the vehicle.

I do have to complain a tiny bit though, a car here is $35, a truck has to pay the "commercial" fee of $75. Apparently they arnt smart enough to understand what "commercial" means.

On the plus side, apparently even though we have a $250 "EV" add on fee, my lightning isnt in the system... I pointed it out, they said to send a paper form to the state, which i took...they never responded so im guessing it must have been lost in the mail...

 

[jefrank]

My registration renewal is in fall, so knowing this was coming, I paid for 2 years for both vehicles instead of 1 year. Since our next vehicle will also be an EV, we can transfer the registration to the new vehicle for the remainder of the term, which also results in lower valuation costs, since it's currently based on a Mach-E purchased in 2022, not a possible Rivian R2 purchased in 2027.

Many people complain about registration fees without understanding the composition of them. Most on this thread do understand that one of the components in many states is now an EV tax/fee instead of a gasoline tax each time you fill up, but they also include a vehicle portion that is non-EV specific and is often based on the value of the vehicle. People go from a 8 year old vehicle to a brand new $70,000 EV and complain about the high cost, and don't understand that $500 of that $767 is based on the $70,000 value, irrespective of it being an EV, as compared to the $22,142 value of the 8 year old thing they got rid of.

Knowledge is power.

What I complain about is that the tag fee for my 2004 BMW 330Ci is $214 and, after subtracting the EV fees of $267, my 2022 $80K Lightning is only $197. Crazy that a 22 year old vehicle is still paying that much for tags. In 3 more years, though, I'm jumping over the 10-year, $120 classic vehicle plate, even though it means losing the vanity plate.

 

[P-38]

What I complain about is that the tag fee for my 2004 BMW 330Ci is $214 and, after subtracting the EV fees of $267, my 2022 $80K Lightning is only $197. Crazy that a 22 year old vehicle is still paying that much for tags. In 3 more years, though, I'm jumping over the 10-year, $120 classic vehicle plate, even though it means losing the vanity plate.

Your Lightning fee makes zero sense...feel like 464 is what it should be and they missed the EV fee...

Mine is way more cause it's a 2024 so still stepping down the first three years but the fees are definitely based on MSRP so your lightning should be roughly 2x your BMW...

But hey if it's the bill the state sent you who are you to question it

 

[jefrank]

Your Lightning fee makes zero sense...feel like 464 is what it should be and they missed the EV fee...

Mine is way more cause it's a 2024 so still stepping down the first three years but the fees are definitely based on MSRP so your lightning should be roughly 2x your BMW...

But hey if it's the bill the state sent you who are you to question it

If Michigan didn't use a base model in it's calculation for value in the initial plate fee, it would likely be that high... and in 2022 they may have used a base ICE F150. Checked the online renewal today and they have definitely included the EV Fee and the EV Tax to a total of $267. I guess it's it a win for me.

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