Fixing San Francisco's EV problem

[DonTom]

With an EV you have to carry an expensive generator and gas to run it!?

Should never happen. SOC is a lot more accurate than a gas gauge, and still has a reserve below zero SOC and plenty of warnings. If there is going to be a problem (very unlikely these days) use the navigation system. It will tell you if any problems are expected. Very unlikely these days for those who have a long-range Tesla like mine and know how to use it.

If I were going across the country and back, I wouldn't carry much other than a few light small adapters and I am sure I won't have a problem. The car will find all my charge stops on the way. And I am not stuck with Tesla superchargers. I can also use CCS fast chargers, but I doubt if I would need them.

To see all the possible charge locations, see here.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Skookum]

Wait a second... to make sure you don't run out, or at least have enough to get to the next town, you just have to carry a jerry can of gas for your ICE car. With an EV you have to carry an expensive generator and gas to run it!?

People still run out of gas? Blame the people not the car, right?

 

[Onyrlef]

Should never happen. SOC is a lot more accurate than a gas gauge, and still has a reserve below zero SOC and plenty of warnings. If there is going to be a problem (very unlikely these days) use the navigation system. It will tell you if any problems are expected. Very unlikely these days for those who have a long-range Tesla like mine and know how to use it.

If I were going across the country and back, I wouldn't carry much other than a few light small adapters and I am sure I won't have a problem. The car will find all my charge stops on the way. And I am not stuck with Tesla superchargers. I can also use CCS fast chargers, but I doubt if I would need them.

To see all the possible charge locations, see here.

-Don- Auburn, CA

You could have a class III receiver hitch installed, buy you one of those cheap Harbor Freight trailers and load your extension cords, the 17 adapters and maybe a generator on it. Then you could travel all the way to the next county and back without calling a tow truck. Another idea is have a roof luggage rack intalled and carry a 4' step ladder.

 

[Skookum]

You could have a class III receiver hitch installed, buy you one of those cheap Harbor Freight trailers and load your extension cords, the 17 adapters and maybe a generator on it. Then you could travel all the way to the next county and back without calling a tow truck. Another idea is have a roof luggage rack intalled and carry a 4' step ladder.

That’s a little ridiculous, don’t you think? A class III isn’t needed, there are only about 3 adapters.

Unless we’re talking about carrying a spare battery. I’ve heard everyone taking about the fact the batteries go bad all the time.

 

[DonTom]

and load your extension cords, the 17 adapters and maybe a generator on it.

Not quite that bad. I carry the same stuff on my electric motorcycles and have plenty of room left over for other stuff.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Viajeros]

We carry a bunch of adapters, but primarily for camp ground charging when we are camping and touring. Handy.



Our most used adapter by far is the TT30 adapter.

 

[DonTom]

Because they were missing out on Fuel Tax.

I am surprised Florida (the state with the 2nd most EVs) didn't have the EV road tax a long time ago. CA has had it for quite a while, and I pay it on most of my EVs, (I own 7 EVs total). That means the ones registered in CA I am not using still pay the road tax. I cannot drive all seven at the same time.

But NV has no road tax on EVs. But most states now do. Both my RVs are registered in NV, but my Tesla and several other motorcycles are registered in CA. I keep the plates on from the state where I buy the vehicle. I don't change them because of the road tax or anything else.

FWIW, I am in favor of all 50 states having the EV road tax, but they have to find a fairer way to do it for those who own many EVs as I do. And I think that is why many states are now asking for the mileage on every vehicle registered. I think they could be considering soon doing such.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Tulecreeper]

California having a property tax on vehicles is something I wasn’t aware of.

When I had a vehicle registered in California, there were annual registration fees.

There are annual registration fees here in WA too but it’s cheap for us. Our motorhome is $130 per year. Cars are 80-90 each.

CA is one percent of the vehicle value per year.

Let's see how each works out on my 160K$ Class A for the first year:

CA is 1% of 160 K$=$1,600 for value, then add the registration fees to that, including weight fees. So it is all the CA fees above that $1,600.00 for the first year.

The way NV does it is a lot more complicated, but it comes out to very close to that same 1% for my Class A when I do the math.

IOW, $2,211.68 divided by 160K$: I paid 1.3823% the first year in NV, but in this case, it includes all the other fees. Type of vehicle has different fees. Weight fees added, etc, 18K lbs on my Class A.

Both states probably come within a few bucks of each other for my Class A. At least not enough of a difference for me to be concerned with between CA & NV.

-Don- Auburn, CA

When did this start? I lived in CA for 55 years, registered vehicles 40 of those years, and never saw any "vehicle tax" on my registration. Matter of fact, I am looking at the registration from 2002 for my 2000 Chevy Silverado and all it says is "Registration Fee: $233", and some kind of "HQ Refund" for $13. That's it.

 

[DonTom]

When did this start? I lived in CA for 55 years, registered vehicles 40 of those years, and never saw any "vehicle tax" on my registration. Matter of fact, I am looking at the registration from 2002 for my 2000 Chevy Silverado and all it says is "Registration Fee: $233", and some kind of "HQ Refund" for $13. That's it.

I don't think it is anything new, but your tax is probably a part of that $233.00 "fee".

If CA, use this calculator to see how much of that "fee" is really tax based on value. But you may not be able to use it if not currently registered in CA.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Tulecreeper]

I don't think it is anything new, but your tax is probably a part of that $233.00 "fee".

If CA, use this calculator to see how much of that "fee" is really tax based on value. But you may not be able to use it if not currently registered in CA.

-Don- Auburn, CA

That's possible, it doesn't break it down on the registration form. We don't even have any vehicle that was originally registered in CA anymore. And that calculator only goes back to 2022 anyway.

 

[DonTom]

And that calculator only goes back to 2022 anyway.

No, it goes back to the 2022 "tax year".

It can be used even on a vehicle from the 1970's or whatever for 2022 or later tax years.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Tulecreeper]

No, it goes back to the 2022 "tax year".

It can be used even on a vehicle from the 1970's or whatever for 2022 or later tax years.

-Don- Auburn, CA

I can put in a license plate and VIN #, but it only gives me the option to choose from tax years 2022, 2023, or 2024. And the tax year input is a requirement.

 

[DonTom]

Do NOT put in year 2024. But in 2022 or 2023 and it will work. The only reason they ask for the tax year is because the VLF goes down every year.

2024 tax is to be done in year 2025, so it is not yet active.

It works, I just tried in on my 2018 Tesla which is registered in CA. I selected year 2023 as that will normally be for the taxes that must be done this year, 2024.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

I just now used it to see what I could have deducted on my last year taxes for my Tesla if I didn't already hit the 10K$ limit. Of course the total registration fee was much higher, The $188.88 would have been the tax that was based on the one % value of my 2018 Tesla. IOW, they are saying it was worth $18,800.00 in year 2023.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Tulecreeper]

Comes back "No Matching record".

 

[DonTom]

Comes back "No Matching record".

That usually means the vin number is not marching the current CA license plate number.

And that could mean it is not currently registered in CA.

It works on all four of my CA registered vehicles. BTW, those are all EVs.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Onyrlef]

There's a conversations feature.

 

[Tulecreeper]

That usually means the vin number is not marching the current CA license plate number.

And that could mean it is not currently registered in CA.

It works on all four of my CA registered vehicles. BTW, those are all EVs.

-Don- Auburn, CA

Well, gol dang it Don. We could have saved the effort because I told you we don't have any vehicles that are registered in CA anymore.