Colorado legislators embrace electric vehicles and mileage reimbursements [The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)]
Aug. 27—At least a dozen
While
Regardless of whether legislators drive a gas-guzzling truck or lithium-ion battery-powered EV, not a single state in the nation has considered modifying the mileage reimbursement formula to reflect the difference between the two types of vehicles, according to the
In
"It just seems inherently unfair that I am commuting 48 miles in my 2017 Nissan Maxima per day and being paid the same rate as someone with a
For Rep.
"We're still in the mode of encouraging EVs," she said. "I don't think we want to discourage them to say you won't get the reimbursement. Perhaps we change down the road, when there are more EVs on the road and we collectively decide we are polluting less."
Unlike state employees, legislators are reimbursed for their commute to the
The
So, whether it's
For each, that would have totaled nearly
Fenberg said he shares his EV about half the time with his wife and drives the family's gasoline vehicle the other times. Bockenfeld said he frequently varied what he drove depending on the weather. Their reimbursement submissions don't reflect whether it was the EV or the gas car that was driven.
The Gazette was able to identify about a dozen legislators who drive EVs to the
The clerks said the information was considered a personnel record that was not publicly disclosable under the Colorado Open Records Act.
At the bottom of the expense record that each legislator signs, it clearly notes they were on state business and that, "I actually incurred or paid the operating expenses of the motor vehicle for which reimbursement is claimed on a mileage basis."
"The biggest problem with the EVs is they're highly subsidized," Bockenfeld said. "I think there are different trade-offs on costs, some are up front and some on the backside. I generally vote against any subsidies on EVs because they get so much already. It breaks my heart to drive it; basically, it was given to me free by the government."
For Fenberg, a
"It's not just a petroleum reimbursement but includes insurance, wear and tear, depreciation and the cost of fuel," he said. "It depends on where you'd charge the vehicle. At the end of the day, there are benefits to society when more people are driving EVs and it becomes more of the norm and more than just simply the cost of gas and maintenance."
That day is fast approaching: There are more than 61,000 EVs on Colorado roads today, according to Atlas Public Policy, and legislators yearly push forth new legislation that looks to the eventuality that Polis' 1 million EV goal will be reached.
Some, such as Rep.
"It's intriguing. I've not really thought of it," Pico said of the mileage reimbursement disparity. "Frankly, we're subsidizing the purchase of EVs to a tremendous degree. We, the taxpayers, are giving a credit to buy the car and it's cheaper to operate. Then also they're not paying as much per mile."
Qualified EV buyers can land a
The average cost of gasoline can fluctuate wildly, but less so for electricity. The average price of a gallon of mid-grade gasoline in
Electricity on average is about
If an EV travels 100 miles on 24 kilowatt-hours, as the 2020
According to PlugInAmerica.org, the cost of electricity would have to hit about
Rep.
EV owners such as Rep.
"First of all, the pay we get as legislators is not why any of us do this, including the reimbursement rate," he said.
Records show Bridges has collected
"Nationally the percentage of EV ownership is pretty low and I'm not sure how it would be calculated," he said. "If we set our own reimbursement rate, we'd have to take into account the cost to do the study ... and what's the cost compared to the savings?"
Although no state has bothered to attempt the analysis, nor the
Its rate for electric vehicles is set at about
At the
"My understanding is it's tied to the federal reimbursement and maybe in the future there's a tweak," Priola said, noting the switch to EVs "is by necessity since our air quality is so horrible."
He added: "The brown cloud used to be just
In
"Joe six-pack can't afford the
Pico points out that new gasoline stations have not been government subsidized, but EV charging stations have been, with the use of special funds to outfit a contiguous line of about 350 chargers across the state, according to the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) and its Colorado Electric Vehicle Plan 2020.
Nationally, the plan is to spend more than
Currently there are more than 4,000 gasoline stations across
EV proponents say the costs of reimbursement are tied to more than just the actual fuel expense. But many of the other costs associated with owning a gasoline-powered vehicle don't exist on an EV. In fact, about the only EV expense is (eventually) a new battery, tires and liquids such as window washer fluid. There is some other maintenance, but not as compared to what's required to maintain a gasoline-powered vehicle and its moving parts.
Still, much of what it costs to own an EV remains in flux, mostly because it is such a new industry. The expense of replacing an EV's battery, believed to last several years with some warrantied for 100,000 miles, is currently about
Auto insurance industry experts say there's too little data to know what the costs will be, so, like anything new, risks are higher until more information gathering over several years gives a better look.
But while
"EVs are no less safe or reliable than gas cars," according to Drive Electric Colorado, an advocacy group that strives to bust many of the myths behind EVs. "EV insurance increases slightly due to the developing technology."
The choice to drive an EV is not at all difficult to justify, according to Rep.
"I fuel up at home at night and don't have to look at gas prices," she said. "I figured out the charge in the off-peak hours, and I drove about 10,000 miles, and my fuel cost was about
She collected
While Bernett agrees separate reimbursement amounts might warrant consideration, it's critical to get more people on board with electrified transportation.
"I'm more about making sure people, no matter their income, can have access to these things," she said.
___
(c)2022 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Visit The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at www.gazette.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Business Health Insurance Market to See Huge Growth by 2027 : Aviva, Assicurazioni Generali, Cardinal Health
Agricultural Insurance Market 2022 Analysis by Growth, Revenue, Key Companies, Regional Development and Global Outlook to 2028: Agricultural Insurance market size will reach USD 67940 million in 2028, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% over the analysis period.
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News