The Americans barely tax it. I used to pay the equivalent of $4.50 a gallon for fuel (I'm an American ex-pat in the UK). Since the dollar has taken such a dive, I pay more in dollars now. Hong Kong has 100% tax. Of course, they also have fantastic public transport. (I've ridden on it. And my husband has worked on it as well. :)
The idea over here is to tax it so much it will get people out of their cars. Not working. Now, of course, they're looking at other ways to get money out of people regarding driving. Some are very interesting...
That said, the American (merkins are something very different :) government could be spending its resources investigating alternative sources of energy, but then that wouldn't profit certain folks in the administration. :( I remember -- during either the Reagan administration or the first Bush one -- I honestly can't remember which now -- when Congress was trying to increase the average mpg cars sold in the US must obtain by 2000. It was nixed by the prez. That average seems so low... (I was driving a Honda Civic then and getting 50 mpg on the highway minimum. My husband used to own a diesel Vauxhall (Chevy) estate (wagon); it achieved over 50 mpg, but you don't see cars like that in the US. I now drive a little VW Lupo -- great mileage, but it's not even sold in the US. I read something about VW didn't think they could market a car in US that achieved over 60 mpg on the highway...
Or having better and more reliable public transportation outside of the Northeast Corridor. Details. :)
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Date: 2004-01-12 10:19 am (UTC)The idea over here is to tax it so much it will get people out of their cars. Not working. Now, of course, they're looking at other ways to get money out of people regarding driving. Some are very interesting...
That said, the American (merkins are something very different :) government could be spending its resources investigating alternative sources of energy, but then that wouldn't profit certain folks in the administration. :( I remember -- during either the Reagan administration or the first Bush one -- I honestly can't remember which now -- when Congress was trying to increase the average mpg cars sold in the US must obtain by 2000. It was nixed by the prez. That average seems so low... (I was driving a Honda Civic then and getting 50 mpg on the highway minimum. My husband used to own a diesel Vauxhall (Chevy) estate (wagon); it achieved over 50 mpg, but you don't see cars like that in the US. I now drive a little VW Lupo -- great mileage, but it's not even sold in the US. I read something about VW didn't think they could market a car in US that achieved over 60 mpg on the highway...
Or having better and more reliable public transportation outside of the Northeast Corridor. Details. :)