If you want to hear some bureaucratic doublespeak tailor-made to appease Big Oil, it doesn't get any more incongruous than this.
Not long ago, a Massachusetts fellow buyed an electric car. The car is fully roadworthy and produces almost zero emissions.
But now the state's Registry of Motor Vehicles has decided to revoke the registrations of this and other electric vehicles. The excuse? The bureau says electric cars aren't really cars. Because they don't use petroleum, you see.
And because they're not officially cars (and aren't bikes either), they're not allowed on roads. (Ooh, an Allowed Cloud!)
Gee, something tells me that when roads were first invented, you didn't need a gas-guzzling car to use them.
Why is the Registry of Motor Vehicles hounding owners of electric cars? Follow the money. Oil companies practically write the laws. It's as simple as that.
Police have even threatened to arrest drivers of these electric vehicles.
Something else like this happened not long ago in North Carolina. The owner of a car powered by vegetable oil was raided by state agents who accused him of dodging (ppphh!) gas taxes.
How can you dodge a tax when you don't even owe it? If you buy no gas, why would you pay a gas tax? Should a nonsmoker be hauled into court for not paying cigarette taxes? Should a teetotaler be charged for not paying alcohol taxes? If Mike Huckabee had won the election, would he be able to sue a person who lacks a digestive system because they wouldn't be paying taxes on food under his UnfairTax?
Should I be jailed for not paying gas taxes because I get around on the Peace Bike?
I guess if the government can say ketchup is a vegetable, it can say cars aren't cars.
(Source: http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/business_news/x380000543/Pulling-the-plug-State-says-electric-car-is-illegal)
Friday, August 1, 2008
State says electric cars aren't really cars
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I love your passion, but the truth is less conspiratorial I am afraid. The fact is, MA is just ignorant when it comes to electric vehicles. It is a matter of "red-tape" for the most part. The MA RMV has categories of vehicles. The EVs they are pulling from the streets are considered 3 wheeled passenger covered motorcycles. These have not been defined in MA, probably because of lack of demand up until this point. The fact is they do allow some EVs -- I know because I just registered and EV at the MA RMV -- a Vectrix Electric Scooter.
ReplyDeleteMA is way behind on the adoption of EVs -- maybe because of its laws. MA is one of the few states behind on this, but will undoubtedly be forced to catch up very soon.
My advice to those with their registrations stripped from them -- hold on to your EV. MA can't sit on the sidelines for much longer.
Bo Bennett,
Host of the EVcast
http://www.evcast.com
KY just now started allowing it, under an executive order.
ReplyDeleteThe reason KY did not allow it before was that the oil business pays off the legislature.