NEW YORK – Until now, electric vehicle owners have been
immune from paying taxes at the pump, revenue that largely pays for public
infrastructure. That’s about to change, Wired reports.
Washington state is assessing a $100 annual tax for
residents driving certain electric vehicles (EVs), an effort to recoup some of
the money lost to those who drive zero-emission vehicles. While the typical resident
pays roughly $182 per year in state gas taxes, the EV owner is still better
off, an imbalance that some are trying to address.
"EV drivers want to pay their fair
share," said Jay Friedland, legislative director of Plug-In America.
"We want the roads to be supported, but we're still in a phase of early
adoption and there's a greater public good."
The advocacy group said a flat road tax is more equitable —
taxing all drivers equally, regardless of how it is powered. It’s an idea that
is gaining momentum.
New Jersey state Sen. James Whelan has proposed a road tax
that charges all drivers 0.00839 cents per mile driven, or roughly $100 for
those who travel 12,000 per year. The idea is for the state to collect revenue
from EV drivers without singling them out.
Virginia’s House Bill 2313 is also seeking revenue from EV
drivers. The bill seeks to eliminate the $0.175/gallon tax in favor of a tax of
3.5% for gasoline and 6% for diesel fuel, and a $64 per year tax for EV,
hybrids and alternate fuel vehicles.
In addition to promoting a flat road tax, Plug-In America argues
for a tax that is based on vehicle miles traveled plus a vehicle’s weight, and
that incentives should be enacted to motivate EV adoption.
"Washington state is the shining non-beacon,"
Friedland said. Meanwhile, Arizona, Michigan, Oregon and Texas, are proposing
similar legislation.
"Everyone's looking for money from anywhere right
now," Friedland said, "but there's a difference between a revenue
source and a political straw man."