Texans could pay $200 annual fee to drive electric vehicles

[RKinWA]

Texans could pay $200 annual fee to drive electric vehicles | KTSM 9 News

Texas right now, but I am sure other states will start doing this as well. It makes sense actually, as EVs slowly take over the road, they will lose a lot of gas tax revenues and need to make them up somewhere. We have pretty high gas tax here in Washington, so I could see it happening here for sure, especially with the amount of EVs up here.

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[Pioneer74]

It's $150 in Michigan.

 

[TRP]

$100 in TN but that may change soon

 

[breeves002]

In Missouri we have to pay $100/yr. However I never paid it when I had my EV registered in MO. At the DMV they'd tell me I need to buy it and I'd just say no. They gave me my plates still. I got a letter every 6 months saying if I get caught driving in MO without the sticker its a $500 fine. Was pulled over a few times not a single police officer asked about it or noticed it was missing. May be different now though this was in like 2017.

 

[jgcom]

Louisiana enacted a bill to create a $110 annual fee a year ago. I've still not worked out how I'm expected to pay this fee; the bill's language doesn't say and the OMV website doesn't list it. Maybe Texas will follow Louisiana's inept lead!

 

[AliRafiee]

$250 in Washington.
My Mach E’s tabs will cost almost a grand to renew this year.

 

[RKinWA]

$250 in Washington.

Really? I tried searching but all that came up was about tax credits ?

 

[krafty81]

In CA it is about 800 dollars a year in registration fees for almost any car. I am sure they will find a way to add more, they always do!

 

[Brian M]

Gas tax in MD is probably on the avg but every time I drive on I97 I’m reminded that it’s all BS. That road has sections of concrete missing that can swallow small cars and it’s not because people with EV’s aren’t paying their share. I have 2 ice vehicles and the gas tax doesn’t seem to be fixing anything.

 

[kdonnel]

It is adjusted every year in GA based on an estimate of how many gallons of gas the average driver uses in a year and has been since 2016.

https://dor.georgia.gov/alternative-fuel-vehicles-annual-licensing-fees-policy-bulletin

It was $204.20 in 2016 and is $210.87 in 2023.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

$100 in Illinois, plus getting an ugly white plate that ends with an ‘EL’ and no ability to customize. I had the opportunity to transfer my old plate, but both the sales manager and, more importantly, my wife thought it would look ridiculous to drive a MME with a plate that reads: PRIUS! I reluctantly agreed

 

[RKinWA]

Gas tax in MD is probably on the avg but every time I drive on I97 I’m reminded that it’s all BS. That road has sections of concrete missing that can swallow small cars and it’s not because people with EV’s aren’t paying their share. I have 2 ice vehicles and the gas tax doesn’t seem to be fixing anything.

I used to live in MD so I know what you mean. I remember a road project on 301 in Upper Marlboro that seems like it took 10 years ?

 

[Vulnox]

Yeah Michigan has had this for a while as noted above. We even paid it when we had the C-Max Energi back in 2016 or 2017, I forget when it was first enacted.

While I understand the reasoning, I think they should have taken the opportunity to revamp the entire tax for road repair system and moved all vehicles to a flat rate at registration dependent on vehicle class or weight or something.

The gas tax doesn't make a lot of sense these days, it probably never really did. My F-150 PowerBoost gets better fuel mileage than a non-PB F-150, but weighs more. Its road impact is, to a small degree, worse than a lighter F-150 that gets worse fuel mileage, but the lighter F-150 will pay more in tax.

Or a Mustang GT 500, which weighs probably half what an F-250 weighs but can get about equivalent fuel mileage and pays the same road impact tax.

Just seems like they should have just moved everyone to a straight, predictable road tax at registration. The biggest argument I see against that would be for people that drive very little, they would probably pay less if they were paying fuel tax. I dunno, no perfect method for everyone. But having a split system seems like the least logical.

 

[RKinWA]

Yeah Michigan has had this for a while as noted above. We even paid it when we had the C-Max Energi back in 2016 or 2017, I forget when it was first enacted.

While I understand the reasoning, I think they should have taken the opportunity to revamp the entire tax for road repair system and moved all vehicles to a flat rate at registration dependent on vehicle class or weight or something.

The gas tax doesn't make a lot of sense these days, it probably never really did. My F-150 PowerBoost gets better fuel mileage than a non-PB F-150, but weighs more. Its road impact is, to a small degree, worse than a lighter F-150 that gets worse fuel mileage, but the lighter F-150 will pay more in tax.

Or a Mustang GT 500, which weighs probably half what an F-250 weighs but can get about equivalent fuel mileage and pays the same road impact tax.

Just seems like they should have just moved everyone to a straight, predictable road tax at registration. The biggest argument I see against that would be for people that drive very little, they would probably pay less if they were paying fuel tax. I dunno, no perfect method for everyone. But having a split system seems like the least logical.

Pretty much the 'gas tax' methodology is just a money grab these days... need more money for a special project? Raise the gas tax. Need to build a fancy new building? Raise the gas tax. At least here in WA. At one point I remember them talking about changing it so you pay by mile driven, not sure whatever happened with that. They get so much extra revenue from 'gas taxes' they will never want to just abandon them, but they can always find ways to add more taxes.

 

[njb]

$100 in Illinois, plus getting an ugly white plate that ends with an ‘EL’ and no ability to customize. I had the opportunity to transfer my old plate, but both the sales manager and, more importantly, my wife thought it would look ridiculous to drive a MME with a plate that reads: PRIUS! I reluctantly agreed

You do not have to keep the EL plate. I was given regular IL plates at the EV rate when I purchased and switched them to a personalized EN plate as soon as the registration went through. Still have to pay the EV rate but plate is your choice.

The exception to this is Tesla (at least from our experience). They do not seem to have access to the full IL vehicle registration system the way other car dealers do so they deal in EL plates only. Not that you can't switch them later.

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