How does the world collect car road fees?

From Germany to Malaysia to Japan, each country has its own way of charging road fees, based on engine capacity, CO₂ emissions or vehicle registration region.

Video : Proposal to abolish road toll stamps (Source: HTV).

Road tolls are an integral part of the cost of owning a car in many countries around the world . Depending on the country, these fees are calculated based on a number of factors such as the type of car, engine capacity, CO₂ emissions or registration area. However, one notable common point is that many countries no longer require windshield stickers as they used to.

Germany: Free for electric cars until 2030

In Germany, the annual road tax is calculated in detail according to the Motor Vehicle Tax Act. The basic fee for petrol cars is 2 euros/100cc, while diesel cars are charged 9.5 euros/100cc. In addition, vehicles are charged an additional fee based on their CO₂ emissions – between 2 and 4 euros for each gram of CO₂/km that exceeds the standard.

Car inspection stamp in Germany.

To encourage people to use environmentally friendly vehicles, the German government completely exempts road fees for electric vehicles until the end of 2030. Instead of toll stickers, vehicles in Germany only need to have a sticker showing emission standards (for example Euro 4).

Users can easily find out their annual payment amount using online tools, simply entering basic information such as engine type and CO₂ emissions. When registering a new car, owners must authorize the government to deduct the fee directly from their bank account, and the fee is automatically deducted each year.

Malaysia: Toll-free zones and no more stickers

Like Germany, Malaysia also applies annual road tolls. However, the system here is more complicated when considering geographical location (East or West Malaysia) and type of ownership (individual or corporate).

People can pay flexibly through many channels such as the official website of the Department of Roads and Transport (JPJ), the MyJPJ application, banks or public service counters.

From 2024, Malaysia will officially abolish the regulation of sticking to the windshield toll sticker. Instead, users only need to present a digital copy via the MyJPJ app when requested.

Japan: Eco-friendly car incentive system

In Japan, road tolls are announced by mail on May 1 and are due on May 31. People can pay the tolls at post offices, banks, convenience stores, or tax offices.

Car inspection stamp in Japan.

The fee is based primarily on engine size, but also on fuel type and age. Diesel cars older than 11 years or gasoline cars older than 13 years will pay an additional 15%. Electric, hybrid and natural gas cars will receive a 50-75% reduction in the first year of registration.

In addition, Japan also charges a fee based on the vehicle’s weight, collected at each inspection period. New cars will pay the first three years upon purchase, then continue to pay periodically. This fee can be waived or reduced depending on the level of fuel efficiency standards in 2020.

Similar to Germany and Malaysia, Japan also does not require toll stickers, only inspection stickers with expiration dates.

In the US, each state has a different way of charging fees.

In the US, there is no uniform national regulation on road fees, instead, each state will have its own way of applying them through vehicle registration fees.

For example, in California, registration fees include a base fee, a vehicle licensing fee (VLF) of about 0.65% of the vehicle's value, and various additional fees such as traffic improvement fees. The VLF can also be deducted from income taxes.

In Illinois, the annual registration fee for a regular car is $151. If it is a new car, the owner will have to pay an additional $165 in title fees, bringing the total initial cost to $316.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/the-gioi-thu-phi-duong-bo-oto-nhu-the-nao-post1547075.html