This is surprising me: DU is against a tax on driving cars to pay for infrastructure?

[BlueStreak]

253. Definitely. And we have to realize we have cut that tax in half -- which is why the infrstructure

is underfunded. The gas tax is per gallon, but cars now use about half the gas they used a decade ago so the money to maintain the roads is half what it should be. There is a little offset in that Diesel trucks haven't seen such an improvement and they pay a lot of tax. And the more efficient cars are lighter, and therefore put less wear on the roads and bridges. Nonetheless, we have whacked the funds in a very big way.

On top of that, EV drivers are paying nothing to maintain the roads. That's a situation that will need to be addressed. An alternative is to drop the fuel tax of cars and instead assess an excise tax on each auto. But that wouldn't be completely equitable either.

Personally I don't mind seeing the most efficient cars get a free ride for a few more years, as an incentive to move beyond the oil economy. However those who think EVs are the clean answer may not understand the full picture. In regions where the electricity is mostly generated from coal, a pure EV like a Leaf or Tesla actually produces a little more carbon per mile than a 50 MPG Prius does. Of course, in areas where there is a lot of hydro or other non-carbon power, EVs are vastly kinder to the climate. The point is that we need to aggressively attack the source of the energy, not just the consumption of it.