Driver ticketed for using biofuel

Driver ticketed for using biofuel

www.newsobserver.com

Bob Teixeira decided it was time to take a stand against U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
So last fall the Charlotte musician and guitar instructor spent $1,200 to convert his 1981 diesel Mercedes to run on vegetable oil. He bought soybean oil in 5-gallon jugs at Costco, spending about 30 percent more than diesel would cost.

His reward, from a state that heavily promotes alternative fuels: a $1,000 fine last month for not paying motor fuel taxes. He has been told to expect another $1,000 fine from the federal government.

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Get ready for the fuel police....



www.newsobserver.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Motor fuel taxes?

So, we have

car taxes
insurance
gas to pay
gas taxes
repairs on vehicles
property taxes on vehicles
county stickers
inspection stickers
emissions stickers

I'm so glad I don't own a vehicle.

As long as the fuel doesn't pollute more than State-approved gasoline, I don't see why he should be fined.

Originally posted by uberarcanist
As long as the fuel doesn't pollute more than State-approved gasoline, I don't see why he should be fined.

Its not the pollution they are worried about.
Its not getting taxes for buying fuel they are upset about.

Fuel taxes are in place to cover road maintenance and construction.

While I feel the taxes could be greatly reduced by an efficiency overhaul of state construction contractors (just how many workers does it take to watch a hole be dug?), the taxes are necessary.

We can either have taxes on our fuel or have taxes on number of miles driven. I prefer taxes on our fuel.

While it's a messy situation as the law is still catching up with alternative fuel technologies, these fines are legitimate.

Vege oil fuel is going to be difficult to tax other than through prepayment. If there were a way to differentiate veg oil fuel from veg oil food at the retail level, one could carry an extra tax. Not a very easy task.

I would also point out...

He was fined, not ticketed...

This has been quite an issue with the biodiesel crowd. I'd be in favor of a annual license to use alternative fuels that would absolve home brewers of any highway tax.

What a bummer

Here in the UK, as from 01 July there is no duty payable on SVO, or biodiesel for producers and users of under 2500 litres per year.

I drive a VW T4 and already use around 30 to 50 Rapeseed oil and pay the duty on it to HM Customs & Excise but as I pay around 42 P a Litre and then around 22p a litre tax, its still cheaper than diesel at 99P a litre at my local garage.

I know and can see some may have a problem with this but the states is well within their rights for demanding the taxes be paid on the fuel. The vehicle is using public roads therefore subject to toad tax.

We use to be able to buy gas and claim it was for off road usage i.e., Boats, snowmobiles ski doos without having to pay taxes you get the drift, but they have since disallowed claiming off road usage as people claimed they were buying it for them and in fact using them in their cars/trucks.

I also think that now when farmers get gas and diesel delivered it is now colored or has an additive added that can tell the state if you are driving a vehicle with off road fuel on state funded roads. Example link below shows information relating to trucks that could use diesel from farm machinery that states it is illegal and mentions the dying.

No Dyed Fuel & No Illegally Blended Fuel in Highway vehicles



[edit on 6/28/2007 by shots]

interesting. Soemtimes when the oil gets low to heat my house ill run over to the gas station to pick up a 5gal container of diesel. the only difference between diesel and home heating oil is they put red dye in home heating oil because its taxed differently. who would have thought i was breaking the law, and i still don't care.

This story was published June 11.

Breaking news submissions must be less than 48 hours old at the time of posting.

Fuel taxes are designed to help pay some of the costs of keeping the roads up and whatnot.

This is a problem that needs to be addressed, as the situation is a new one, but people who use biofuels shouldn't be exempt from paying the taxes we all pay for road upkeep, unless the legislatures or the courts decide that they should be.

Similar examples exist.

If you buy a quart of Everclear, you'll pay some taxes on ethyl alcohol that you won't pay if you buy denatured ethyl alcohol a few aisles over in the fuel section of your supermarket.

I really don't think these people need to have John Law kicking in their doors because they didn't know the arcane nuances of the tax code when they tried to do good by the environment, but a biodiesel car uses the public highways just like any other car does.

I Canada some people with diesel vehicles go to restaurants and get their used fryer oil and filter it and add the other chemicals and burn it in their vehicles,I understand it runs better and cleaner then the diesel.The formula is on the internet.The restaurants have to pay to have the oil disposed of so they love giving it away.I told one owner and he bought a little old diesel pickup and he has been using it ever since,thinks its wonderful.When his truck is running it smells like french fry's.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Fuel taxes are designed to help pay some of the costs of keeping the roads up and whatnot.

What about the electric or even the hybrid cars you see running around now and then?

Are they also paying some kind of tax on the electricity that powers their cars to help pay to "keep roads up",

If they are I haven't heard of it yet.

Maybe electric and hybrid car owners have just "slipped through the crack" on this tax?

[edit on 4/13/2010 by Keyhole]

Originally posted by apc
If there were a way to differentiate veg oil fuel from veg oil food at the retail level, one could carry an extra tax. Not a very easy task.

There is, well not at the retail level but... Not too sure how effective it is but I once talked to a guy with a van full off kit (that he was not very happy about me seeing ) - the idea was he was 'sniffing' the exhausts.... Then he was cross referencing the results automatically to an automatic number plate system.

As I walked past his sensors I passed wind big time on purpose, it wouldn't of bothered the sensors at all, I just had to do it.