What does this taxation achieve?

wolvoman

zeon999 wrote: »

we should be even tougher on vehicles which are kicking out the most emmissions.

Absolute rubbish, it's not the vehicle that causes emissions, it's the driving of it. And vehicle excise duty takes no account of usage.

My example, I have 2 cars. One that I use mostly for fun at weekends that emits 254g/km and I have done 5000 miles in this in the last year.
My other car I use a lot for work and have done 18,000 miles since I got it less than a year ago - it's very low on emissions (119g/km)

So Car 1 total emissions: 2043 kg of CO2 Road Tax: £400
2nd car total emissions: 3447 kg of CO2 Road Tax: £35

Tell me again that bit about these taxes being done to save the environment.....?

talksalot81

exil wrote: »

Sure, none of us here are experts (me included). But amongst people who should know - there is virtually 100% certainty that CO2 emissions have a lot to do with climate change.

All I can say is that i am an experimental physicist by trade and, unsurprisingly, have friends who are more deeply involved in climate modelling. Whilst there are strong indications, there are not all that many will stick their necks out, even in private, and claim near certainty. Perhaps you know a better sample than I...

Ultimately, it does not matter. If I can afford to buy a polluting car, I can afford to tax it. I might even feel that i am doing my bit for the environment because the extra tax I pay is 'offsetting' my emissions. This tax is not likely to stop new cars with 4 or 5 litre engines, these people just dont have to worry about a few pounds more. But the ones who buy those vehicles when the first owner tires of it do. They now need to buy a car which pollutes less. So more of these cars need to be made to fill need. So now we have more heavily depreciating polluting cars... the owners will still get rid of them after 3 years because they can afford to. So do these cars get scrapped? I doubt it. They will just cost less and make it more viable to drive them and simply pay the tax. Sure the tax is a !!!!!!, but it has forced the price down so the goals really haven't moved.

In the immediate future, I just dont see what good this will do. The same cars are on the road today as yesterday. Integrate and the same CO2 is produced. To lower that takes time to get the polluting cars off the road but that costs CO2 to scrap and recycle and it costs it again to make new, greener, cars. We could be talking decades until this 'debt' was cleared. By that time, the public may have moved onto another 'sexy' scientific idea. So for now, this taxation is nothing more than a money making exercise.

Charlton_Taz

Can't believe that so many people think it is necessary to own large cars!! Most of the time you are not going to need to pack your car full of stuff..so why do people think that they must get 4x4 or estates or other huge cars?

Get a smaller car, saves you money on purchase price, saves you money on cat tax, saves you money on petrol..all round good moneysaving I say! If you need a car for holidays then hire one..much cheaper than buyer a large car in the first place.

Also I think its really selfish that people go on about safety. The vast majority of cars these days have good NCAP ratings, and all these large cars do is blocking the view of people in "normal cars" not really helping the safety of the road really is it?! Its like a nuclear arms race..my cars is bigger than yours so I'm safer..what if all of us took that attitude then where would you be?

What about considering the future for all our kids and maybe we should all stop being so short sighted..accept climate change is an issue. It may be a small thing..but driving a small car means your life style isn't hindered..but you are helping out in a one small way.

Sorry..rant over!

thescouselander

Well I for one have had enough of environmentalists sticking their noses in and interfering with my life. As a protest I shall be removing all the energy saving light-bulbs from my house and putting the conventional ones back. It might cost a few pence more but it will be worth it to stick two fingers up at the environmental lobby.

anewman

talksalot81 wrote: »

All I can say is that i am an experimental physicist by trade and, unsurprisingly, have friends who are more deeply involved in climate modelling. Whilst there are strong indications, there are not all that many will stick their necks out, even in private, and claim near certainty. Perhaps you know a better sample than I...

Yes, in science you have to have an objective mind. If you say 100% certainty Co2 emissions you exclude all other possibilities and make no effort to search for them - and if there was something else contributing more to it, that sort of ignorance wouldn't help the earth's future.

anewman

Charlton_Taz wrote: »

Can't believe that so many people think it is necessary to own large cars!! Most of the time you are not going to need to pack your car full of stuff..so why do people think that they must get 4x4 or estates or other huge cars?

I have an estate, but not through choice, the car was free. But there's not much difference compared with the hatchback to be honest, and it has come in handy for the odd thing like transporting bumpers, and a bed. I would say 99% of the time the space isn't used, and it can make parking that little more challenging but my understanding is fuel efficiency (hence Co2 output) isn't all that increased.

talksalot81

Charlton_Taz wrote: »

Can't believe that so many people think it is necessary to own large cars!! Most of the time you are not going to need to pack your car full of stuff..so why do people think that they must get 4x4 or estates or other huge cars?

I have a small car, it just has a big engine! :cool: Why shouldn't I? I dont smoke or drink, as I ranted about earlier, I cant afford a house and money in a bank account is just losing ground to real inflation.

Chesnut1

Charlton_Taz wrote: »

Can't believe that so many people think it is necessary to own large cars!! Most of the time you are not going to need to pack your car full of stuff..so why do people think that they must get 4x4 or estates or other huge cars?

Get a smaller car, saves you money on purchase price, saves you money on cat tax, saves you money on petrol..all round good moneysaving I say! If you need a car for holidays then hire one..much cheaper than buyer a large car in the first place.

Also I think its really selfish that people go on about safety. The vast majority of cars these days have good NCAP ratings, and all these large cars do is blocking the view of people in "normal cars" not really helping the safety of the road really is it?! Its like a nuclear arms race..my cars is bigger than yours so I'm safer..what if all of us took that attitude then where would you be?

What about considering the future for all our kids and maybe we should all stop being so short sighted..accept climate change is an issue. It may be a small thing..but driving a small car means your life style isn't hindered..but you are helping out in a one small way.

Sorry..rant over!

Excuse me but MY life would be hindered!! I drive a 4x4 I do not live on a farm but I do live in the country, I use this vehicle to feed stock from, tow my horses. While working it carriers many elderly and disabled people around and their wheel chairs and when my neighbours in small cars get stuck I am the one who tows them up the icy hill in winter. So if I bought a small car this would not efect me, I think not and I cannot be the only one who puts these big vehicles to good use so please do not use such sweeping statements. We do not all use these just for the school run you know and I am getting fed up of echo warriors shouting, I have done more for the planet than most in the last 10 years and my yealy C20 for my household is half the national average, I cannot be the only one.

banger9365

your all going on about big car's and 4x4's costing more on ved can you explain this then
astra sri 19cdti (150) sport's hatch (07)£145 year for mine
kia carens (56)2.0 crdi £145 year my fathers
leon FR 2.0 16v tdi FR (07)£145 my brothers
vauxhall Meriva (54) 1.8 16v breeze £210 my sisters a little car
and one more in the loop my old car vectra 1.8 ls (03)£170,my old car
for year 2008 ,the mariva and vectra will be £260 for year 2009
so the little car is cheap i think not
3 average cars and two sporty cars
tax prices taken from parker guild www.parkers.co.uk/cars/road-tax/
looks like your arguments are not valid to me
this one will upset a lot,my mates car vectra 3.0 v6 cdti (05)is only £210
so give me the sporty car any time,little old cars cost to much(gone on cars in my family)

404

I don't know how it works? but I have found out my 1977 Pontiac Trans Am with a 6.6 litre V8 will cost me £101 for six months. Ok so I only get 12- 15 mpg but I only use it for shows and during the summer.

It could be worse i guess but knowing this crap money grabbing government it will.

It'll also be shame if classic cars are forced off the road and all the "New" cars look the same.