Canada: Federal Budget hammers Hummers - GreenHybrid

Katz6768 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-21-2007, 07:11 AM

http://finance.sympatico.msn.ca/budg...mentid=4320835

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSN Finance

The price tag for a Hummer or a Jeep Grand Cherokee will go up by $4,000, while vehicles like the GMC Yukon, the Toyota Sequoia and Dodge Durango could see a green levy of $2,000 per vehicle.

Vehicles eligible for a $2,000 rebate include the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and the Ford Escape HEV 4x4. There would be $1,000 discounts for the Toyota Corolla, Mini Cooper M6, Jeep Patriot and Chevrolet Impala.

The $2k Federal rebate is on top of the $2k Provincial Sales Tax refund for Ontario residents

Katz6768 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-21-2007, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSN Finance

Finance Department officials say the rebates and levies will basically cancel each other out, leaving the government with the same amount of revenue as before. But they acknowledge there are no studies to prove that the tax changes will actually influence buying patterns.

Since the levies for gas guzzlers are two times the rebate for gas efficient vehicles, Canadians are buying twice as many gas guzzlers.
We are a "sad bunch"

...wait, maybe is the other way around ???

Delta Flyer · #3 (**permalink**) 03-21-2007, 07:24 AM

It might be more effective if they only came in pink.

Sounds like a joke, but this would address the mentality of many of these buyers.

Katz6768 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-21-2007, 10:46 AM

We all get a little stupid when we buy a new car [buying a new car rather than a used one is a stupid thing to do in the first place]. We add to our purchase things that we wouldn't buy when sound of mind, like overpriced radios, dvd players, navigation systems, rear view cameras, bluetooth, etc. and we ignore more practical options and features like the hybrid drivetrain, smaller engine, gas efficient tires, etc.

It would probably be more effective if governments instead offered on-going incentives. In Canada we pay every year to renew our license plates, I would like to see free-renewals for gas efficient vehicles and a good $500+ per year renewal for gas guzzlers. This would drive the message when we are back to our senses.

worthywads · #5 (**permalink**) 03-21-2007, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta Flyer

It might be more effective if they only came in pink.

Sounds like a joke, but this would address the mentality of many of these buyers.

There was a badly banged up Pink Hummer H2 with the license plate PINKVXN at the body shop next to my work last month, a product of all the heavy snow we got.

Rather ghastly.