Following on the heels of 7 other states around the country that have made similar moves, the Wyoming legislature recently passed a bill that will see electric vehicle (EV) owners charged a $50 annual fee, supposedly in order to make up for lost fuel tax revenue.
The idea here is that the annual fee is a means of paying for road and infrastructure upkeep (read: road tax). Of course, one could say that the new tax is really just a means of increasing state revenue, and that other tax sources (vehicle registration fees, vehicle purchase taxes, etc) could cover the cost of basic road maintenance in urban areas. (Rural road upkeep is an entirely different issue to my mind — many will simply have to be reverted to gravel over the coming years, imo.) It should also be noted here that most fuel taxes aren’t used for road upkeep, but rather for highway construction projects and the like.
The new annual special fee went into effect on July 1, 2015. Also worth noting here is that the fee applies only to plug-in vehicles — plug-in hybrid ones as well as all-electric ones — but not to non-plug-in hybrids.
The legislation for the new fee was approved unanimously by the state Senate (though there was one absence), with a vote of 29-0; and the House passed it 56-3 (with one absence).
Those curious about the naysayers (or EV supporters/users?), may be interested to know the names. Here they are: Marti Halverson of Lincoln/Sublette/Teton counties; Kendell Kroeker of Natrona County; and Robert McKim of Lincoln County.
The recent move means that Wyoming joins the likes of North Carolina, Georgia, Idaho, Washington, Colorado, Nebraska, and Virginia in charging EV users an annual “road tax replacement” fee.
(Tip of the hat to “pox” on the Tesla Motors Club forum for the news.)
Georgia resident and Leaf driver here, just got my first tag renewal notice that includes the recently passed $200 annual fee on AFVs. While it bites to pay another $200, I get it and really wish the rest of the EV community would see that this simply puts us on an even playing field with ICE car drivers. You see, the primary funding mechanism for almost all roadwork in most states (that means new construction, resurfacing and maintenance, etc) is the motor fuel tax or “gas tax.” As a conservative I dislike taxes, but this one makes the most sense as it is really a user tax. The more you drive, the more gas you buy, thus the more you pay for the roads you use more. Makes sense to me. However, EVs like my Leaf pay no gas tax but we still use the roads. These new fees simply charge us for using the roads in another way. And in Georgia, the AFV annual fee is specifically designated for mass transit projects, which is cool and the first time in my life that Georgia has specifically dedicated any revenue stream to mass transit. Like it or not, we have to pay for road construction and maintenance, and those of us who drive EVs and other AFVs need to pay our fair share. Oh Lord, I just quoted Obama! I need to go pray for forgiveness. 🙂
No it doesn’t. $200 a year is way more than what “comparable” ICE cars pay in fuel taxes. You’d have to drive close to double the average mileage to even get close. How likely are you to do that in your Leaf?
You want a more “fair” tax? Charge every vehicle $200 a year and repurpose the gas tax for environmental recuperation from the emissions and pollution resulting from using fossil fuels.
Look, I get that you don’t like the tax but saying it is “way more” than what ICE cars pay is just factually incorrect.
Here’s the math. If you drive 15k miles a year in GA and get an average of 20 mpg you will buy 750 gallons of gas. The GA gas tax is $0.26 per gallon which means you would pay $195 in state gas tax. That is roughly the same as the $200 annual fee on AFVs which is why I think it is fair even though I don’t like paying it.
Now to your point, I would love to see the politicians repeal the motor fuel tax and replace it with the $200 fee for everyone. However, that would mean grandma who drives her car 3k miles a year would pay the same tax as the traveling sales rep who drives 50k miles a year. Is that fair?
12,000 miles would be the average annual mileage and a comparable gas car would be in the upper 20’s to low 30’s MPG. Look at a Nissan Versa, it now gets an EPA rating of 35 MPG combined.
No, a fixed arbitrary tax is not fair and that’s exactly my point.
Look, you can pick nits all you want. IMO 15k miles a year is the average, at least for most of the people I know in Metro Atlanta. Heck, I drive 10k miles a year and I work from home! And as for the Versa, that certainly does not represent the gas mileage the average Georgia resident gets. A lot of pickups and SUVs here, so 20 mpg average is likely generous.
You mentioned fairness so let me ask you this. Is it fair for EV drivers to use the roads without paying anything toward the maintenance and upkeep?
It’s not about nit-picking, it’s about a punitive action by the states without addressing the underlying issues. You think that gas taxes are the sole revenue for road maintenance? You think it is fair for fossil fuel burning vehicles to be destroying the planet, poisoning the environment and making us sick? You think tax subsidies to oil and automotive companies are fair/commensurable with those for EVs?
Dude, you’re all over the place. The question is, how do we pay for road construction and maintenance in the most fair and equitable manner. The gas tax currently does pay for the vast majority of road maintenance, that is a fact. And btw it made sense to do it that way because the more you drive, the more gas you buy, therefore the more tax you pay. A very fair user tax. Now that hybrids and EVs exist it throws that model into disarray and the politicians are trying to play catchup. No matter what kind of car you drive, you need safely maintained roads to drive on, and we have to pay for that somehow. As an EV driver, I know I have to help pay for those roads as well. The EV fees may not be perfect but they are a step in the right direction. If you have a better plan, write your state reps and suggest it.
Many years ago I lived in Texas. They supported, and may still, their highways, which are generally in very good shape, by taxing vehicles according to their gross vehicle weight. This actually makes much more sense than a fuel tax. A semi is going to put much more wear and tear on the roadway than a Fiat 500.
Excellent idea.