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isqueiros | 3 months ago

Vehicle tax in the Netherlands is already weight-based. This is why the tax rate for EVs is higher than gas cars. The thing is that if you live in Hilversum and are able to import a car from the US, you don't mind the higher tax to begin with

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mothballed|3 months ago

No tax I've seen is anywhere remotely close to following "fourth power law" on axle weight[]. And especially so for gas taxes, as the gas/diesel cost tends to be closer to linear with weight.

Usually what happens is smaller cars subsidize everyone else due to paying a disproportionate tax vs axle weight^~(2-4 depending on fatigue pathway). Depending on tax structure possibly pedestrians/cyclists too but they are usually parasitic on tax basis.

[] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_power_law

mavhc|3 months ago

Agreed, tax based on damage to road, and then tax fuel the amount it costs to clean up the pollution the fuel causes, and then use the money to clean up the pollution it causes. Then who cares if you fly your private jet, or giant car, you just pay for it.

Side effects include: reduced pollution, and cheaper ways to clean up pollution

mjlee|3 months ago

I don't disagree that large cars create externalities, but what proportion of costs scale with axle weight?

In the UK the most recent budget allocates £1.6 billion for maintenance. According to statista £13 billion was spent on roads last year.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/298675/united-kingdom-uk...

lukan|3 months ago

"The thing is that if you live in Hilversum and are able to import a car from the US, you don't mind the higher tax to begin with"

That can be fixed. Starting with removing business tax exemptions for such cars.

CalRobert|3 months ago

This is why they’re registered as business vehicles. Also the roads aren’t tolled, oddly.

dzhiurgis|2 months ago

How much higher? My impression is that passenger vehicles are absolutely subsidizing the trucks and buses so overall tax is mostly moot.

expedition32|3 months ago

I think those Dodge Rams are on a different tax rate for commercial vehicles.

Why on earth you would want a pickup truck instead of a van is beyond me. This ain't Oklahoma.