Report: Six States Propose New Electric Vehicle Fees
by Robert Walton (Utility Dive) The Sierra Club says six states have proposed legislation this year that would add to the cost of owning an electric vehicle, worrying clean energy advocates who say owning emissions-free vehicles should be incentivized rather than taxed.
States with new EV-fee bills include Indiana, South Carolina, Kansas, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and Montana. About 10 other states already have similar fees instituted.
Advocates of the new fees say they are necessary to make up for falling gasoline taxes, which are used to fund road upkeep, as vehicles have become more efficient, and EVs would avoid the cost altogether.
Electric vehicle proponents worry a spate of fees could dissuade car buyers from going emissions-free, but backers say the new costs are necessary and that EV owners on the roads are having their miles subsidized by traditional vehicles.
Several states already have fees on all-electric and hybrid vehicles, including Wyoming, Colorado, Georgia, Washington and others, ranging from $50 to $300 per driver per year. According to the Sierra Club, Georgia—which has an EV adoption rate of about 2.2 per 1,000 vehicles— previously offered a $5,000 tax credit but has replaced that with a $200 annual fee. According to the group, EV sales then plummeted 80%. READ MORE and MORE (New York Times) and MORE (Fuel Fix)
