Hummers might face extra fee

Governor's plan: Target gas-guzzlers, encourage eco-friendly vehicles

A Hummer tax might be part of a plan to raise cash for roads and transit systems. (Bill Greene/Globe Staff/File 2008)

Massachusetts could become the first state with its own Hummer tax under a plan floated by Governor Deval L. Patrick yesterday that would charge higher registration fees for gas-guzzling cars and offer discounts for those that do less harm to the environment.

The suggestion comes as Patrick prepares to unveil a fuller version of his much-awaited plan tomorrow to fix the state's destitute road and public transit systems. While he would not release details yesterday, Patrick said at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce appearance that any gas tax increase would be coupled with a freeze on toll rates.

Environmentalists applauded the registration proposal, saying it would encourage people to buy smaller and more fuel-efficient cars, which are increasingly seen as key to curbing global warming. Similar proposals have been proposed in Massachusetts since at least 2001, but without the backing of a sitting governor.

"The social costs of larger vehicles include not only the additional pollution, but also higher crash risks to other vehicles," said state Representative William Brownsberger, a Belmont Democrat who is cosponsoring two bills that would penalize expensive and heavy cars with higher taxes or fees. Advocates also justify the fee by noting that heavier cars do more damage to roads.

But opponents say such fees could penalize families and small businesses that need big cars or trucks and already pay higher fuel prices.

A similar plan has been proposed in other states, including California, but has yet to pass, said Charles Territo, spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents 11 car companies, including the Big Three American carmakers.

Territo points out that low mileage cars are already less expensive than big cars in most cases.

"Consumers that have these vehicles already pay more," said Territo, who said his group would oppose such a plan in Massachusetts.

Patrick said his administration is looking at the Registry of Motor Vehicles fee structure to create "differential fees based on the efficiency of the vehicle or the emissions of the vehicle."

"Big gas-guzzlers will pay more for their registration," he added. "Plug-in hybrids would pay less, and you'd have a range, that kind of thing."

Patrick's office declined to elaborate on the proposal or say whether it would appear as part of his overall transportation plan. Ann Dufresne, a spokeswoman for the Registry, said state transportation officials have been discussing a gas-guzzler fee program, "but I think they're still trying to flesh that out now."

Patrick said yesterday that he was continuing to look at raising the state gas tax, but did not commit to it. When asked about it during the Chamber event, he threw the question back to the audience, asking by a show of hands whether the crowd favored a gas tax increase or higher tolls. The crowd chose the gas tax, which has generally been a more popular proposal in the business community.

But Patrick cautioned that even if lawmakers raise the gas tax, the state would probably collect less money in the future as drivers buy more fuel-efficient cars and need less gas. Because of that, he is also considering a replacement that would charge drivers a fee for every mile they drive.

That's another reason environmentalists support the Hummer fee. If the gas tax is eventually phased out, a new fee would keep the pressure on consumers to buy more fuel-efficient cars.

"It allows for technology to evolve every year because it's always taxing the most polluting and it's always incentivizing the most efficient," said Matt Elliott, a clean-energy advocate in New Jersey, where the idea is also being debated.

The federal government already has a gas-guzzler tax on new cars, passed in 1978. But sport utility vehicles and trucks are exempt, so it affects mostly high-performance luxury vehicles, such as Aston Martins and Lamborghinis, that have high costs and very poor mileage. Any car that gets more than 22.5 miles per gallon - the vast majority of sedans and coupes - is exempt.

At least one influential player in the state transportation debate worries that adding an environmental component to the debate could complicate it, and ultimately delay important plans to fix roads and transit systems.

"There's painful steps that need to be taken to fix our transportation system," said Stephen J. Silveira, a lobbyist who chaired the Massachusetts Transportation Finance Commission. "Once you bring the environmental aspect into them, you add a whole other layer of debate which makes this harder to get to at the end of the day. And this is hard enough."

Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com. John C. Drake can be reached at jdrake@globe.com.