Michigan EV vehicle registration costs

[zvez]

‘23 Mach e gt $836 Mississippi

but that's misleading, you're rolling all vehicle fees that all cars pay. As I recall MS ev fee is around $150 a year.

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[zvez]

No tax at the gas pump equals higher vehicle registration cost.
2024 Mach-E $420.00
2016 Ford Edge $178.00
Do Other states have higher electric vehicle registration cost?

In the US it seems most states have EV annual fees, they seem to range from $75-250 a year

 

[Jerrytball]

but that's misleading, you're rolling all vehicle fees that all cars pay. As I recall MS ev fee is around $150 a year.

Well, I thought he was kind of looking for overall cost of getting a new tag. I didn’t realize maybe I misread or just read too quick because my 2007 Mazda seven was 70 bucks for tax overall

 

[AliRafiee]

No tax at the gas pump equals higher vehicle registration cost.
2024 Mach-E $420.00
2016 Ford Edge $178.00
Do Other states have higher electric vehicle registration cost?

We pay an extra $225 for driving an EV here in WA. I have 2 EVs at $1K per year each.

 

[AKgrampy]

I am with you on the second part, but a couple thousand pounds does have a significant impact on road wear. Per axle weight increases have an increase on road wear to the fourth power.

Now, to be clear, this is more significant when comparing a passenger vehicle to a semi, but it still holds true even if at lower ranges of difference when talking about a 3k lb vehicle to a 4k lb one. In that case it can take two days of trips in a smaller sedan to equal the weight of one trip in a small SUV.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_power_law

"The fourth power rule in traffic engineering is a principle used to describe the relationship between axle load and damage to the road surface.

It states that the damage caused to pavement by a vehicle's axle load is proportional to the fourth power of the axle load. This means that even small increases in axle load can result in significantly greater damage to the road surface."

It is NOT a perfect rule, as weather and road thickness and other attributes have an impact on a particular roads rate of degradation, which is usually brought up when using that rule. But that doesn't dismiss the impact of two vehicles on the same day in the same conditions on the same road.

Again, you can say the focus is more on Semis which isn't wrong, but there will be many more F-150s passing over most side streets in suburbia each day than there will be semis. So it's still important for cumulative effect.

I never said they would crumble, but just like tire wear, it's not a discussion on if tires just one day go from good to bald, but a discussion on what impacts the rate at which the tread degrades. Heavier vehicles have a large impact on that rate when it comes to roads, even if the impact is measured over years and not seconds.

I have been meaning to look into this and your post will now make me do it. I understand that axel weight certainly is the factor on bridge loading but for roads I would think it ultimately comes down to lbs per sq-in so tire width would also come into play. Maybe I am in la-la land with my thinking though so off to do a bit of research (finally.)

 

[Teslaeata]

In concept, I don't object to the idea of EV drivers paying road taxes. My problem arises when you look at the fact that no jurisdictions actually use gas tax for road repairs/construction anymore, it all just goes in general revenue.

You may be interested (or not) but UK EV owners paid no road tax at all so far.

Should start to pay c£190 from next year and c£250 more if new car bought after next year cost more than £40,000.

I have no problem at all paying road taxes.

Big believer in paying for what you get.

ASIDE: Last time I looked on forecourt at spec sheet for a petrol Stang, road tax was c£2,5000 per year ?

 

[Pioneer74]

If this flat rate is enough to cover what would be recovered from gas tax, why not just drop the gas tax completely and just assess it to all drivers?

Because people from out of state use the roads too. And they buy gas in the state they are driving.

Government will get their money one way or another. Look for extra taxes on DCFC when electric vehicles become a greater share of the vehicles on the road.

 

[RickMachE]

No tax at the gas pump equals higher vehicle registration cost.
2024 Mach-E $420.00
2016 Ford Edge $178.00
Do Other states have higher electric vehicle registration cost?

You are showing the total registration fee, which has multiple components.

First, Michigan charges registration fees based on the original sticker of the vehicle (per their database). As the vehicle ages, this fee goes down. That is why your 2016 Ford Edge is only $178. It would be around $240 for the same sticker except 2024. Of course a 2024 would have a much higher sticker than a 2016...

It also depends on when you register it. If it is a renewal, there is an annual fee. If you buy it new, they adjust the fee based on the next renewal (your birthday).

If it is electric, they add $155 to all vehicles regardless of age, or price.

So, the $420 includes a $155 electric fee (adjusted for birthdate if new), the rest has nothing to do with electric.

 

[RickMachE]

Current Michigan fuel tax is $0.30/Gal.
$420.00/12 months= $35/month/$0.30=166.66 gallons of gas/month.

Your math is wrong, see my post...

Correct math = $155 / 12 = $12.92 per month / .30 = 43 gallons of gas per month

If it's a new vehicle, they don't prorate the $155, they just charge it. So, for a short period, you pay more than that per year, because it's for less than a year.

 

[Vulnox]

You are showing the total registration fee, which has multiple components.

First, Michigan charges registration fees based on the original sticker of the vehicle (per their database). As the vehicle ages, this fee goes down. That is why your 2016 Ford Edge is only $178. It would be around $240 for the same sticker except 2024. Of course a 2024 would have a much higher sticker than a 2016...

It also depends on when you register it. If it is a renewal, there is an annual fee. If you buy it new, they adjust the fee based on the next renewal (your birthday).

If it is electric, they add $155 to all vehicles regardless of age, or price.

So, the $420 includes a $155 electric fee (adjusted for birthdate if new), the rest has nothing to do with electric.

I am glad you mentioned it as I thought OP was just typing out quickly but understood that there is more to that registration fee than it being an EV. My non-EV F-150 registration was $355 this year and the MME was $428. So as you pointed out vehicle value is a significant driver of cost and the EV fee is a set amount.

I suspect if my F-150 was an equivalent packaged Lightning the registration would be around $510. But that would be a bargain compared to what I have paid in gas on even this hybrid so far.

 

[RickMachE]

I am glad you mentioned it as I thought OP was just typing out quickly but understood that there is more to that registration fee than it being an EV. My non-EV F-150 registration was $355 this year and the MME was $428. So as you pointed out vehicle value is a significant driver of cost and the EV fee is a set amount.

I suspect if my F-150 was an equivalent packaged Lightning the registration would be around $510. But that would be a bargain compared to what I have paid in gas on even this hybrid so far.

I have my registration renewal right in front of me.

Mach-E is $399. Window sticker was $59,395.
Lightning is $366... Windows sticker was $81,244.

I haven't done this year's breakout, but last year I did.

Mach-E was $259 registration, $148 electric fee. Lightning was $222 registration, $148 electric fee.

If you play with their calculator, there is no difference in a car vs. truck as far as fees. I can only explain the difference as a screw up on their end. When I bought my truck, I did the math and transferred the plate from my 2013 F-150, paying $5.00 plus $148 electric fee. At my birthday, I paid $222 plus electric fee for the Lightning, as compared to $259 for the Mach-E. So the Lightning has always been lower.

 

[Vulnox]

I have my registration renewal right in front of me.

Mach-E is $399. Window sticker was $59,395.
Lightning is $366... Windows sticker was $81,244.

I haven't done this year's breakout, but last year I did.

Mach-E was $259 registration, $148 electric fee. Lightning was $222 registration, $148 electric fee.

If you play with their calculator, there is no difference in a car vs. truck as far as fees. I can only explain the difference as a screw up on their end. When I bought my truck, I did the math and transferred the plate from my 2013 F-150, paying $5.00 plus $148 electric fee. At my birthday, I paid $222 plus electric fee for the Lightning, as compared to $259 for the Mach-E. So the Lightning has always been lower.

Whoa, yeah that is not what I expected. The MSRP on my PowerBoost Lariat was $81k, so your Lightning is somehow only just slightly higher than mine. It is a year older, but I don't believe a year has that significant a change.

Sounds like in MI the Lightning is the EV deal if you are worried about the fee (I know you still pay it, but the base registration cost is somehow low enough it offsets it), or at least yours somehow was. ? Makes me paying for gas on top hurt even more.

 

[HiVolts]

You are showing the total registration fee, which has multiple components.

First, Michigan charges registration fees based on the original sticker of the vehicle (per their database). As the vehicle ages, this fee goes down. That is why your 2016 Ford Edge is only $178. It would be around $240 for the same sticker except 2024. Of course a 2024 would have a much higher sticker than a 2016...

It also depends on when you register it. If it is a renewal, there is an annual fee. If you buy it new, they adjust the fee based on the next renewal (your birthday).

If it is electric, they add $155 to all vehicles regardless of age, or price.

So, the $420 includes a $155 electric fee (adjusted for birthdate if new), the rest has nothing to do with electric.

Thanks for the reply. Michigan sales tax ~$0.30/gallon= 517 gallons of gas/yr.

 

[BARRIDALE]

No tax at the gas pump equals higher vehicle registration cost.
2024 Mach-E $420.00
2016 Ford Edge $178.00
Do Other states have higher electric vehicle registration cost?

In Ontario Canada $35 Canadian maybe that’s $22 US for registering an EV with zero cost per annum

 

[Vulnox]

Thanks for the reply. Michigan sales tax ~$0.30/gallon= 517 gallons of gas/yr.

So for a 30 MPG average vehicle works out to about 15k miles/yr.

Keeping in mind that 30 MPG would have to be the average, can't just take the highway mileage of whatever comparable vehicle, it's a reasonable calculation. Would be a bit high for me since I have about 8,000 miles on my F-150 after 18 months, but my wife has a lot more on the MME since she has to commute daily.

Previous to the MME and Focus Electric we had an Escape 2.0L and that thing was not averaging 30 MPG with her mostly city driving.

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