Today I was reading the business press and came across a story I'd been expecting for a while. The UK government wants to impose a tax on electric cars to compensate for the reduction in revenue from fuel taxes. The tax would be a price per kilometer driven and would have to be paid upfront, then refunded when the car passes its MOT/vehicle inspection.
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This is news I've been waiting for for some time. You wouldn't believe the number of more or less intense conversations I've had with some of my friends. I'm one of the few in my circle who doesn't have solar panels or an electric car. Apparently, this not only made me look bad but also made me feel stupid because I wasn't going to save a ton of money on electricity and fuel.
Honestly, I'm a pretty practical person, and when I have a financial problem, I run the numbers. And the numbers just didn't add up. When I considered installing solar panels, the actual payback period—not the one companies make up—was eight years, including EU subsidies, which, of course, my friends still haven't received. An electric car simply didn't make sense without solar panels, and besides, it has a shorter lifespan than a conventional car.
But the funniest thing is that everyone told me the numbers would eventually work out, even if it was late, and that I'd be hit with environmental taxes. The truth is, those who have fallen for government propaganda have only prepaid their expenses and will end up paying much more than everyone else. The government monster is getting bigger and hungrier. Don't doubt that if necessary, they'll charge you for the air you breathe.
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