Rikkitic:

 

networkn:

 

I read what you wrote, I interpreted it differently perhaps. I don't think EV's should be on the road *now* if they aren't contributing. I am all for EV's for the record, but they should be contributing like everyone else.

 

 

Could they possibly be contributing by not adding to our fuel import debt, and by not pumping thousands of tons of pollutants into the air?

 

 

 

I have always wondered how the country's balance of payments would be if we suddenly switched to 100% electric and stopped importing petrol.

Assuming the infrastructure could support charging, wouldnt we be saving a hell of a lot?

robjg63:

 

Rikkitic:

 

networkn:

 

I read what you wrote, I interpreted it differently perhaps. I don't think EV's should be on the road *now* if they aren't contributing. I am all for EV's for the record, but they should be contributing like everyone else.

 

 

Could they possibly be contributing by not adding to our fuel import debt, and by not pumping thousands of tons of pollutants into the air?

 

 

 

 

I have always wondered how the country's balance of payments would be if we suddenly switched to 100% electric and stopped importing petrol.

 

Assuming the infrastructure could support charging, wouldnt we be saving a hell of a lot?

 

Yep, reduce oil imports, except for my motorbike chain oil, reduce emissions, something our Govt isn't into. In time, fossil fuel vehicles will or should be hit with a carbon tax, to get EV on the road and fumes off.

Mentioned before previously, but I see no reason why we all shouldn't contribute. Auckland is 4 hours drive away for me, so what. Kaikoura is a lot further away and I'm helping to pay for their roads and railway to be fixed after their recent little seismic events.

@Networkn

They are exempt to incentivise the use of cleaner transport. The government obviously wants to incentivise their use, so they have chosen this method, why? They could always charge EV owners as you suggest, then also setup some sort of separate scheme to incentivise EV uptake, but that would be much more costly than simply making them exempt as they have done. If you want to argue that the government shouldn't incentivise the use of EVs, then that's another debate.

EV's should be paying RUC's in lieu of fuel tax. If the Government wishes to give an incentive to change to EV's they should do it by way of a rebate at purchase. I will pay an additional fuel tax without concern if that is applied to the intended purpose but that seldom happens.

afe66: As expected we are side tracked on ev's...

The topic is should petrol taxes be used to pay extra infra structure!!

robjg63:

 

I have always wondered how the country's balance of payments would be if we suddenly switched to 100% electric and stopped importing petrol.

 

Assuming the infrastructure could support charging, wouldnt we be saving a hell of a lot?

 

Not sure about the balance of payments but a lot of dinosaurs would go extinct overnight, and I'm not just referring to the vehicles. The entire economy of New Zealand, and everywhere else in the world, has been completely taken over by the petrochemical industry. Untangling that has to be a long, slow, gradual procedure if you don't want disruptions that will make the Great Depression look like a minor blip.

rb99:

 

Mentioned before previously, but I see no reason why we all shouldn't contribute. Auckland is 4 hours drive away for me, so what. Kaikoura is a lot further away and I'm helping to pay for their roads and railway to be fixed after their recent little seismic events.

 

If we all contributed, the tax would certainly raise a lot more money than originally anticipated by Labour's Gurus. But, because a regional fuel tax can't be implemented (as Bill English claims) then don't you think that Labour needs to go back to the drawing board urgently and issue a statement that clarifies the situation? Labour can't simply ignore the research that National has obviously done on this issue.

You would think that, if elected, Labour should be able to introduce a regional fuel tax even if it means that new systems need to be designed to implement it. But, in light of the statement by Bill English, Labour needs to explain why National is wrong on this issue (if they are).

In any event, I can imagine a lot of people outside Auckland won't vote for a Labour Green Alliance if they think some of their petrol bill is going to pay for Auckland's transport woes! So, Jacinda, get cracking and explain how you're going to do it!

I would have thought that an increase in tax or duty on passengers at Auckland Airport was something that should make a contribution.

Bob the Builder in Auckland may never need to travel to the airport - why should he fund the transport to and from it to a greater degree than Tarquin the Solicitor who flies up from Wellington for Partner's meetings twice a month?

There is of course some benefit to general Aucklanders but seems fair to me that passengers should pay too - perhaps $5 per passenger arriving or departing Auckland, ring fenced for the transport project.

In 2015 there were 16,487,648 passengers through Auckland Airport. At $5 a go for say 75% of them (the other 25% being transit passengers) that would be a tidy $62 million approx.

There is already a heavy rail line from Britomart to Onehunga. And soon the Central rail loop will add to that. What is the point of spending crazy money just duplicating rail infrastructure that is already there today? Especially using a tramway, meaning the trams will have to stop at traffic lights, and have to deal with cars and pedestrians sharing the same tracks / roads. And a tram is unlikely to be quicker than a bus on the same route.

Extend the Onehunga line to the Airport, continue that line through to Wiri, to rejoin to the main trunk line. This extra loop might mean that the 3rd freight only line that is proposed might no longer be needed. So overall it would probably be similar to construct, but far better outcome.

Instead of building a busway alongside the Northwestern motorway, Run rail alongside it. Connect into the existing tracks at kingsland by the Bond st motorway overbridge (which is close to where the central rail loop line will emerge). Run rail alonside the NW motorway. As it is mostly flat apart from needing a tunnel to go under the hill that has Royal rd on top of it. Continue the rail to Westgate, then continue it again along SH 16 to Kumeu, then join it into the existing northern main trunk line at Kumeu. Therefore creating a mega North West rail loop.

Unfortunately rail to the North Shore is a pipe dream. Just way too many hills, and you will be duplicating the busway, which is nowhere near capacity. Further North towards Silverdale, Orewa and beyond. Just more never ending hills. So rail on the North East of Auckland will always be way too crazy expensive. While more rail out West via the NW motorway route would be far cheaper, and lots of mostly flat land in the NW to continue that rail.

Maybe everything should go into the politics thread.

gzt: From Onehunga you have to cross the bridge. You might be better off going Airport, Mangere, Otahuhu.

Edit: thread kicked into politics forum lol

The subject is an election policy by one party, it's political.