Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation wants to raise taxes on gasoline to help develop alternative and more fuel efficient technologies.
“We have to do something to favor the new technologies and send a message to American consumers that gasoline prices are going to be systematically higher,” he said. “A gas tax is a statement from the government that this is an issue of national security and we’re going to do something about it.”
While his heart seems to be in the right place I don’t think this opinion is going to make him very popular.
Jackson said that raising gasoline taxes could make alternative power train vehicles, such as hybrids, diesel and ethanol cars, a more economical proposition, both by making the fuel savings more valuable to consumers and by devoting some of the money raised to research.
I’m glad he acknowledges diesel as one of the front runners of a more economical vehicle.
“For any of these technologies to win over the next four to five years, we need gasoline prices of $3 (per gallon) at least,” Jackson said. “If gasoline falls significantly below $3 a gallon and stays down below $3 a gallon, you undercut the economic viability of all these alternatives.”
Get the tar and feathers ready.
Hybrid cars couple a traditional internal combustion engine with a battery, allowing less gasoline to be used. Diesel engines on average use about 30 percent less fuel than gasoline engines.
Again thanks for the props, but you might need to save some of that PR for yourself.