How should I rename the CLIPH-rate tax

 A while back I developed and presented my tax proposal. 

Initially I called it the CIPH-rate tax. 

Then I added an L and made it the CLIPH-rate tax. 

That stands for Comprehensive Lifetime Income per hour.

The name is accurate but the invocation of a cliff is a very bad idea. Cliffs are dangerous things that people fall off and die.  

It is also extremely misleading - my proposal if is for a smooth tax-rate curve rather than the familiar thresholds with sharp changes in rate at those income points. 

Tax to reward work

I have been following with interest the enthusiasm among those on the US right for the "No Tax on Overtime" proposal. 

This is driven by a similar ideal to the one that drives the CLIPH-rate tax. 

People who work longer hours should pay lower rates of tax than someone who earns the same amount in less time. 

An overtime tax is a blunt instrument to do that, but it is interesting to see the enthusiasm for it. 

What would be a better name?

So, what snappy name can we come up with for my proposal that makes it sound less technical and avoid invoking the idea of a cliff?

Here are some initial ideas:  

• Work reward system
• Laziness tax 

There are downsides to the latter term, because it might end up punishing those unable to work for health reasons, which is certainly not my aim. Those unable to work should be much better off than they are at present. 

But those who are able to work and who do not do so should pay much higher rates of tax. I'm thinking here of those who live off inherited and other unearned wealth, rather than working for a living. 

Does anyone have any alternative name suggestions? 

A better way to map political views?

 I have found political debate frustrating for many reasons lately.

There are various ways to label political views, but I found them all too limited. Left and right is too simplistic. The political compass is better but still gives strange results and oversimplifies.

There are useful value axes surveys, such as 8values and 9axes. These are helpful to people in working out their own values, but not really in terms of giving them a label or relating them to others.

I’ve therefore had a go at developing an alternative political compass.

I thought the easiest way to explain it was to put it in a video, so that is what I did:

The basic idea is that there are certain points of appeal for people and it is a question of which one they value most. Some are strongly opposed to one another, hence the ‘magnetic poles’ or ‘gravity’ metaphors. Other poles are friendly to one another.

Thoughts and suggestions are very welcome!

How should you think about EV Range?

Historically, "Range anxiety" has been a major barrier to Battery Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption. Early Nissan Leafs (Leaves?) only had about 100 miles of range after all. 

However, as battery costs have dropped more recent cars have larger batteries, meaning that even budget EVs now do around 200 miles. 

Range Anxiety vs. Charger Anxiety

Rapid charging speeds have increased as well, meaning that a charging stop doesn't mean hours of waiting but rather a brief stop of around 20-30 minutes to get you on your way. 

This reduces concern about range, since running out doesn't mean waiting for 6 hours to refill as it did with EVs made before about 2015. 

People choosing an EV should look at its maximum charging speed as well as range. There are some extra complicating factors here, but generally the higher the maximum speed the quicker the DC rapid charge. 

If you can do a rapid top-up to get to your final destination why worry about range? 

As range has increased and EV sales have outpaced new infrastructure, EV drivers are much more likely to have "charger anxiety" than range anxiety. 

This is the concern that chargers will be broken or occupied when you arrive in desperate need of a charge. 

The infrastructure will continue to improve with the sales of EVs, though sadly the two might not always be perfectly in-step and the power network requires a lot of upgrades as part of the energy transition. 

How to think about range?

Despite this, range is still a considering when looking to buy an EV. 

Electricity is much cheaper at home and rapid chargers in the UK are very expensive (up to 10x the cost of charging at home). A bigger range means less need to charge away from home. 

Furthermore, range will mean more options when it comes to where to charge. It offers more flexibility. 

However, range is rarely an issue for most people's lives. Most people drive to work and back, perhaps occasionally stopping off at a shop or something as well. 

As long as the range is sufficient to get back home on one charge and then refill the battery for the next day what difference does it make? 

Range becomes a factor for those who go on long distance journeys of several hundreds of miles, for instance to see relatives for celebrations. 

Real world range

This is where knowledge of EV batteries becomes useful. 

People who complain about EV range usually feel aggrieved because their car was advertised as getting, say 250miles range but they only got 185 before it ran out. They've been scammed! 

In fact, they have not been scammed. They just weren't informed (perhaps a salesperson actively misled them but the information would be out there). 

EV range is not a fixed amount but rather one that varies depending on several factors. 

Here is real range of the 'long range' version of the MG4 (there is now an extended range with an even bigger battery).  

This comes from the excellent resource that is the EV Database website. Do check this database before buying an EV. 

You can immediately see that the range can be twice as much pootling around the city in the summer compared to doing a highway drive at 70mph on a particularly cold Winter's day. 

An ICE car will also get different range depending on driving conditions but no one really thinks about it much. They are so inefficient (due to waste heat) that a little bit extra inefficiency hardly makes any difference. And they waste so much heat that they don't suffer so much from cold once they get going. 

The equation for range is a simple one. How much energy is stored in the battery and how efficient is the car at converting the energy into miles. 

The larger the battery and the higher the efficiency the longer the range. 

Efficiency varies depending on speed (above 60mph efficiency really drops off) and low temperature also reduces efficiency because some power needs to go into keeping everything suitably warm. 

So it isn't just battery size that determines range. 

Aerodynamics matters too (low and long saloon cars being more efficient than massive slab SUVs). Weight is very important of course. Heat pumps will also help with efficiency when it is very cold as well because they take less energy to achieve the desired temperature.  

The most efficient EVs include:

Long slippery saloons:

• Tesla Model 3 
• Hyundai IONIQ 6 

Smaller, lighter cars: 

• Mini Cooper 
• Corsa Electric 
• Skoda Citigo (and identical cars) 

Essentially these are well-designed cars that are aerodynamic and keep weight limited. 

The least efficient EVs include:

Big bois: 

• Mercedes-Benz G 580 (over 3 metric tonnes!)
• Volkswagen ID. Buzz (basically a van)

Sporty flashers:

• Audi e-tron S
• Lotus Eletre R

Essentially these are cars that emphasise either size or speed and have no regard for efficiency. 

The efficient cars above (the best) are twice as efficient as the ones below (the worst). 

What range do you need? 

We got the Standard Range version of the MG4 (51kWh) because it is perfectly adequate for us. We can visit our immediately family and return on one charge without any issue. 

We may take one holiday driving trip per year which goes beyond that range and it is no problem to charge on such journeys. 

A car with a battery size of 45-55kWh will be fine for most people, and most budget cars will be around this size going forwards. 

However, some people might have long commutes, regular long journeys or family who live further away. For them a longer range vehicle may make more sense (60-100kWh). 

The downside of a bigger battery is that it is more weight for the car to carry, which reduces efficiency and therefore range. 

Conclusions?

The right car depends on numerous factors, such as lifestyle and various preference (including aesthetic). There is no single "right" answer. This is why car companies produce numerous models and variations. 

Many people can now ignore the issue of range for a new EV. The range of a standard model will be adequate and charging speeds are sufficient to cover the occasional longer journey. 

However, those who need a longer range car (regularly making longer journeys) then the following considerations are more important because they will impact upon range:

• Battery size 
• Total weight of vehicle
• Efficiency of equipment (possibly including a heat pump if driving long distances in winter)
• Aerodynamics (shape)