Could Texans Have to Pay $200–$400 For Driving an Electric Vehicle?

While electric vehicles are still years away from taking over the roads, Texas lawmakers are looking ahead and preparing. The main incentive to plan for the future is that EVs will not contribute to the gas tax leaving the state without a big portion of its funding.

To compensate, Texas state senators have proposed a bill, Senate Bill 1728, that would charge EV drivers somewhere between $200 and $250 for their electric vehicle per year, plus another $190+ if they drive over 9,000 miles. If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2021.

As it stands, roads and other vehicle infrastructure projects are paid for with the help largely in part from gas taxes. Take the need to buy gasoline away and there’s a significant issue.

According to Car and Driver, Texas reports these EV fees would apply to about 300,000 vehicles and raise around $37.8 million in 2022, upwards of $135,594,000 by 2026. Texas isn’t alone in this idea.Several other states have thought about EVs fees or road usage charge programs.

PIA, or Plug In America, has reported that at least 20 states already have some sort of EV registration fee ranging from $50 to $200. An option PIA has suggested are road usage charge programs which would charge people for the actual miles they drive instead of annual flat fees.