Anyone who fails to pay is issued with a fine by post.The Swiss scheme, called the "distance-based heavy vehicles fee" (LSVA) is more complex, not least because it would be difficult to plaster all of Switzerland with video cameras.
Next, he found himself struggling to explain to taxpayers why vehicle fees had been increased.
Having promised never to raise them, in early 2013 he persuaded the legislature to provide $6 billion (in higher sales taxes and vehicle fees) for Virginia's crumbling highways.
Setting steeper, weight-based state motor vehicle fees and closing the light-truck loophole in the federal gas guzzler tax would certainly be helpful.
Gov. Gary Locke released a plan for financing highway and mass transportation improvements with a gas-tax increase of 7 cents per gallon, a new 2percentt excise tax on car sales and increases of up to 50percentt in some commercial vehicle fees.
In Oregon, moreover, Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a Democrat, has proposed a $1 billion economic stimulus plan centered on infrastructure improvements, which he envisions would be paid for by raising the state's gas tax by 2 cents per gallon and increasing a host of vehicle fees.
There is some precedent for raising vehicle fees to fight smog.
There are no direct government subsidies to the purchase price, but the Leaf, as all other electric cars, is exempt from all non-recurring vehicle fees, including sales tax (VAT), the annual road tax, all public parking fees, and toll payments, as well as being able to use bus lanes.
A big chunk of Colorado's new electric-vehicle fee will go towards installing charging stations statewide.
In addition, Queen Elizabeth has a vehicle fee of between $5 and $50, depending on car size and country of registration.
Both are part of the 40-mile-long Cape Cod National Seashore, and there is a vehicle fee of $10 a day or $30 for the season; (508) 487-1256, www.nps.gov/caco.
