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Higher tax for 4x4's?

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landraver:
Just booted up AOL and was faced with this in their homepage news section:

"Drivers of gas-guzzling 4x4 cars have been accused of "crass irresponsibility" by a government minister with a responsibility for cutting Britain's carbon emissions.
Energy minister Malcolm Wicks indicated that the Government was considering punitive measures to persuade motorists to opt for less environmentally-damaging vehicles.
And he suggested that the authorities would like to see a situation where manufacturers were regarded as "irresponsible" for even producing cars which emitted high levels of greenhouse gases.
A record 187,000 4x4s were sold in the UK last year, up from 80,000 a decade ago.
But many of the so-called "Chelsea tractors" are used in the cities where there is no call for their off-road capacities.
Mr Wicks told The Times: "There is crass irresponsibility in some of the larger monstrosities people drive around suburbia and in London.
"We have to move against this kind of thing."
According to The Times, the Government is considering an increase to £200 in the price of a tax disc for high-emission cars which produce more than 250g of carbon dioxide per kilometre - compared with 104g for Mr Wicks' own Toyota Prius.
The minister also suggested that there should be incentives for manufacturers to switch to "greener" technology, like the Prius's hybrid system which combines a petrol-driven engine with an electric motor.
He said he was "disappointed" that British and European manufacturers had not followed the lead of the Japanese.
"Given the very demanding CO2 cuts we must make, we are going to need more than just a series of marginal changes. We are going to need a step-change," he said.
"We will have to ask, 'Is it environmentally responsible to be producing cars which are a serious part of the problem?'
"There will come a time when it will be irresponsible for those to be on sale."
Transport minister Stephen Ladyman told the paper that moves were being considered to encourage the use of less polluting fuels.
Suppliers are already being asked to produce five per cent of transport fuel from renewable sources like crops by 2010, and Dr Ladyman said the target would have to be increased after that date.
"Somewhere down the supply chain, it will have to be more expensive to supply fuels which are high in CO2," he said.
"The thrust of any policy post-2010 has to be to make people make greener choices."
Britain has a target of cutting CO2 emissions by 60 per cent by 2050."

hmmm!
Once again a bit of political bandwagon jumping going on I fear :cry:

Jeff

Damonski:
The best bit is that its comparing figures with car made today, so our 10-12 year old Discos are totally out of the equation anyway.  :lol:

Thrasher:
<sigh>

More tax? What do they think VAT is? What do they think fuel *tax* is?

By owning my climate killer I am fattening the coffers of the treasury so they can plant more trees (not!).

They have more problems than that too....

They can't define a climate killer 4x4 ... as a small percentage are V8 etc - not the majority! If someone can afford £80,000 for a chelsea tractor...do you really think a tax increase of a few hundred quid a year will bother him/her? However - at the other end of the scale, the owner of the new Panda 4x4 will be a tad horrified!?!

Then of course we have the problem of "unfair victimisation" :-)

My new engine is a variant of the XKR engine - so therefore, if it's bad in my Range Rover .... surely it's bad in the XKR? Ban that too.

My current Range Rover has a 7 series BMW engine under the bonnet....ban my Range Rover ... but leave the 7 series on the road? Er....still not making sense here....

On Friday we were driving around in a Bentley Continental GT - it's got a HUGE engine, and the computer was showing us single figure MPG results....hardly green?!?! Ban it!!! LOL

Anyway ... as I say .... it's not fair to pick out 4x4 drivers when we are not the only people with big engines. We're just an easier target :(

Eeyore:

--- Quote from: "Thrasher" ---Then of course we have the problem of "unfair victimisation" :-)

My new engine is a variant of the XKR engine - so therefore, if it's bad in my Range Rover .... surely it's bad in the XKR? Ban that too.

My current Range Rover has a 7 series BMW engine under the bonnet....ban my Range Rover ... but leave the 7 series on the road? Er....still not making sense here....

--- End quote ---


I'm the last one to say owt against 4x4s, but we've got to be a bit carefull with our choice of argument on these subjects otherwise the Treehuggers will be straight in.  :-k

Thier argument here will be that the BMW emits 100gm/km less CO2 than the Ranger Rover with the same engine. The Jag has emits 90g/km less CO2 than the equivelent engined RRS. Just 'cos it's the same motor doesn't mean it's the same in every respect.

Bentleys? Does anyone need a car that big? I don't have inch think shagpile carpet in my home, why would I want it in my car?  :P

Just a tuppence to add to the pot!

cheers
 8)
Eeyore

laser_jock99:
Yes- reading between the lines he's taking a (badly aimed) pop at 4x4's but it will encompass all vehicles that have more power than a moped.

So they're trying to pass it off as a move against urban 4x4's (which anyone knows would be un-enforceable) to generate more revenue from all motorists. W*nkers.

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