A bipartisan bill, introduced in May by Congress, seeks to require owners of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids to pay an annual fee to cover their share of road repair costs. The fee would be $130 for EVs and $35 for plug-in hybrids. Sponsors of the bill say the federal fee – on top of any existing state fee – would help ensure that EV owners contribute to road maintenance, which is partly funded by federal gas and diesel taxes. Auto industry and environmental groups argue that the fee is not only substantially higher than the average fuel taxes paid by owners of gas cars, all EV owners would pay the same rate. Owners of gas or diesel vehicles pay more if they drive more. The Zero Emission Transportation Association estimates that most Americans pay between $73 and $89 a year in federal fuel taxes.
The National Conference of State Legislatures says at least 41 states impose annual fees on EV owners – ranging from $50 in Colorado to $260 in New Jersey.
If passed, the federal fees would take effect next year and rise $5 every two years, topping out at $150 in 2035 for cars that run solely on batteries and $50 in 2033 for plug-in hybrids. The legislation would also abolish the federal Carbon Reduction Program, which provides funds for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, like bicycle paths, traffic management systems and EV charging stations.
Sales of used EVs have soared since the war in Iran raised fuel prices by about 50%.
Source: The New York Times
