- Congress is set to take up a new surface transportation bill.
- EV owners could be looking at new fees to fund road repairs.
- A number of states have already increased costs for EV drivers.
The war on electric vehicles continues in Washington as the House of Representatives will reportedly begin work on a new bill that could cost owners hundreds of dollars. It’s the latest in a series of legislative moves aimed at getting EV drivers to pay for road repairs.
Most of this maintenance is funded by taxes on gasoline or diesel. While this worked great for decades, electric vehicles have essentially been getting a free pass. Congress is now looking at ways to close the loop hole, like an increasing number of state governments.
More: Michigan Just Made It Costlier To Own An EV
According to Reuters, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has revealed they’ll be taking up a new surface transportation bill in April, which is designed to replace the current law that expires on September 30.
While it’s not clear what will be in the bill, Rep. Sam Graves recently revealed we can expect a new five year proposal that includes $500 to $550 billion in federal funding. More interestingly, he said “We would like to get money from EVs.”
The publication noted there have been competing Republican proposals to tax EVs as the House sought annual fees of $250, while Senators favored a one-time fee of $1,000.
Some people aren’t happy with those proposals, especially considering fuel taxes have remained unchanged for nearly 33 years. However, even suggesting raising the gas tax would likely be a non-starter as prices have soared following the war on Iran.
That effectively leaves EVs as an easy target and their market share pales in comparison to gas-powered vehicles. That being said, some politicians have been pushing to tax electrified vehicles as well, so EVs might not be the only victim.
It remains unclear how this will shake out, especially as we’re heading into an election year where the cost of living will be a key issue. That being said, the average American reportedly pays $88 per year in federal gas taxes.
