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Americans who drive electric vehicles may be asked to pay $130 to $150 a year in extra registration fees in order to help the federal government pay for interstate highway maintenance.
Those with plug-in hybrids would pay $35 to $50 if the provision in a broader infrastructure bill earns the approval of Congress. It would take effect after Sept. 30, 2027.
The provision is part of a proposal in the US House, the Build America 250 Act, introduced by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Rep. Sam Graves, a Missouri Republican, and the committee's top Democrat, Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington. The Congressmen said in a press release that the bipartisan bill will help restore bridges and roads and will help build out accessible transit and bike infrastructure.
The proposed EV fee "ensures that electric vehicle owners begin paying their fair share for the use of our roads," Graves said in the release.
If the bill passes, electric vehicle owners would begin paying $130 a year in additional annual registration fees. The money would be collected by the states. The fee would increase by $5 every two years until it reaches $150 and would remain in effect until Oct. 1, 2036, according to the bill. Those who own plug-in hybrid vehicles would pay $35 in 2027, rising by $5 every two years until it reaches $50.
Why an EV fee?
The idea is not new: It was part of the Trump administration's "Big Beautiful Bill" but did not stay in that bill in its final version. The fee that was initially proposed was $250 a year for EV owners. Most states have their own fees for EV and hybrid vehicle owners.
The idea is that those who drive gasoline-fueled cars pay for infrastructure improvements through a gasoline tax. The federal tax is currently 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel, although President Donald Trump and some lawmakers have suggested pausing the gasoline tax due to the current high fuel prices caused by the US and Israel's war against Iran.
According to data from the Zero Emission Transportation Association, a trade group for the EV industry, owners of gas-powered vehicles typically pay between $73 and $89 a year in gas taxes.
Albert Gore, ZETA's executive director and the son of former Vice President Al Gore, said in a statement that the proposed fee "is simply a punitive tax that would disproportionately impact adopters of electric vehicles."
Gore said the group will work with members of Congress on establishing a fair road use fee that does not charge drivers based on what powers their vehicle. "Charging a punitive fee on Americans who choose to drive electric vehicles goes against the idea of drivers paying their fair share based on their driving habits, as drivers will pay based on their drivetrain of choice and not their use of public infrastructure," he said.
