It wasn't biodiesel, he was running straight soybean oil (SVO). They wouldn't have said anything if it had been biodiesel, as it is sold retail in NC, and they would have had to prove he made it himself.

Yep, it was a group of state inspectors pulling samples on diesel RV's at Charlotte Motor Speedway on race day, trying to catch someone using dyed offroad #2 diesel. They wouldn't have even bothered this guy if he hadn't had a big bumper sticker on the back advertising he was burning veggie.

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Mitchell Oates
'87 MB 300D Diamond Blue Metallic
'87 MB 300D - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Sport CRD Stone White
Provent CCV Filter/AT2525 Muffler
Stanadyne 30 u/Cat 2 u Fuel Filters
Fumoto Drain/Fleetguard LF3487 Oil filter
V6 Airbox/Amsoil EAA Air Filter
Suncoast TC/Shift Kit/Aux Cooler
Kennedy Lift Pump/Return Fuel Cooler

Uncle Sam is definately going to have to figure out a better way to handle road taxes in the future!

I used to be involved in a hybrid electric vehicle project. (Back in the early 90s, so none of this hybrid electric business is new tech by any means. Plug in diesel hybrids are the way to go IMHO, but I digress.)

I recall seeing a news story a year ago or so about people converting their Toyota Priuses to plug in hybrids so you could charge the batteries from the wall and run in pure electric mode. GM is heavily researching plug in hybrid technology. In both these cases you're driving a vehicle on a fuel that you didn't pay road tax on.

Be it home brewed bio-diesel or batteries charged from an outlet in the garage it's the same thing from a tax perspective - are they going after all the EV and plug in hybrid people too?!?

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1998 TJ Gasser - Just for fun!

Sold in January 2012:
2005 Sport CRD
New to me March, 2007 w/22k miles
165,000 miles and still going strong
Factory Tow Package, Added Courtesy Lamps,
New Style Mopar Fuel Head,
Cooper Discoverer ATR
Mopar Slush Mats (JUNK!), Fumoto Oil and T-Case Drain Valves

I've wondered this for a while, and this is an intelligent enough forum to ask it: If I had a straight electric vehicle (not hybrid) with a diesel generator that I towed behind for extended range, could I put farm diesel (dyed, with no road tax) in the tank for the generator without Uncle Sam up my @$$?

Technically all the fuel is used for is to generate electricity. Does it matter if the generator is running on a trailer being pulled behind a vehicle at highway speeds? If there is a technicality, would it matter if I pulled over and parked the vehicle while the generator was running?

This is entirely hypothetical, but it's a dream. Any feedback is appreciated.

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~James
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Black '05 CRD Sport
L.O.S.T. # 068768
Rock Lizard Skink Sliders, Skid Row tranny skid, Wet Okole seat covers, Black Widow roof basket, front tow hooks, cargo/pet partition, all Amsoil

Don't be surprised when you see road taxes done this way. Have already read articles where Uncle Sam wants to repeal the income tax credits for buying alternative fuel vehicles (like hybrids) because they already don't burn enough fuel to cover their road use taxes. Likely one of the key reasons why natural gas powered Honda Civics (which can be fueled with a home fuel station) are typically only available to tax exempt buyers like government orgs. Just wait until the plug-in electric hybrids hit the market.....confident our government will find a way to tax it's use.

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2005 Liberty Sport CRD, Lt Khaki, sunroof

Thankful to now be an EX-CRD owner.

Try these guys for testing:
http://www.biodieseltesting.com/index.php

I don't really feel any resentment over gas taxes, and would like it if it just moved to a mileage/weight tax. Of all the taxes I complain about, fuel taxes is lowest on my list. It just makes sense, its a direct usage tax. It allows someone to choose to avoid the road taxes by simply not driving, and thats fair. I know I'd be pissed if I commutted via light rail or bicycle every day and I was still stuck paying for the roads/highways/etc.

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2006 Jeep Liberty Sport CRD

In Charlotte/Mecklenburg county, they have the opposite situation right now. They're trying to start off a light rail system, which from what I've seen is poorly designed and conceived, will only have 3 rail cars and at best be able to carry only a few hundred passengers each day, northern stations are nowhere near where the majority of commuters are located and little if any available planned parking for those that do decide to ride, is already well past being 100% over budget and none of the hardware is even on order yet.

The local government's answer to paying for it is to impose a county wide sales tax. People are taking a view similar to yours on fuel taxes - they're not in the position of ever being able to use the light rail system but are still being asked to pay for it. They've already circulated a petition to get a motion put on the Nov ballot to repeal the sales tax, and last word was they already had more than enough signatures to do so.

It might seem shortsighted to not at least start a light rail system, but you'd have to understand what's happened with Charlotte local government over the past 10 years. They've spent hundreds of millions on such projects as a basketball arena and a NASCAR Hall of Fame, and now talking of a baseball stadium, even after voters rejected using public funds for such projects in nonbinding referendums, meanwhile their school system and public services goes begging for money. A lot of longtime residents in Charlotte have decided that they're not paying for another boondoggle.

_________________
Mitchell Oates
'87 MB 300D Diamond Blue Metallic
'87 MB 300D - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Sport CRD Stone White
Provent CCV Filter/AT2525 Muffler
Stanadyne 30 u/Cat 2 u Fuel Filters
Fumoto Drain/Fleetguard LF3487 Oil filter
V6 Airbox/Amsoil EAA Air Filter
Suncoast TC/Shift Kit/Aux Cooler
Kennedy Lift Pump/Return Fuel Cooler

We certainly have been straying off topic lately.

We have been kicking around a light rail project in our area for years that ironically would run on much of the right of way of a similar system from the early 1900's that the car put out of business. It would basically follow the I-90 corridore from downtown Spokane to near the Idaho border. The original design would have been similar to the successful Portland model with a narrow gauge electric powered trains. I don't live in the area it would serve so I would not have used it but it would have dramatically reduced the drive time load on I-90 and on many east/west arterials as well.

The original plan has largely been abondoned for now to be replaced by one that turns the same route into a dedicated bus line because itt is cheaper. I wouldn't mind paying for the more expensive solution because even if I didn't receive a percieved direct payback I did benefit from fewer people on the roads, less air pollution, and less copetition for fuel. I don't support the current solution because it has dramatically less capacity so it won't reduce the traffic enough and it will continue to make demands on fuel and create pollution.

I happen to be a railroad advocate though so my view is very tainted.

_________________
Dave

'06 CRD Limited, Lt. Khaki, MOPAR Slush Mats/Skids, DrawTite Front Hitch, Mag Lite, Yakima Bars, Thule Bike Rack, Fumoto, ORM, 245/70 Revo 2

Wish list: Lift, Boulder Bars, Something Bigger in the Front and Back, More Lights