Electric Car Taxes

Are states overtaxing EV drivers to make up for lost gas taxes?
Byron Hurd September 12, 2019

Consumer Reports has found that states are overcharging drivers of electric cars, for an amount that has little impact on road maintenance.
"How should EV owners pay for road maintenance?" Twitter poll results
Last week, after several states proposed new registration fees on electric cars, ostensibly to pay for road maintenance, we wondered what our readers thought would work best. We have nothing against electric-car drivers paying their fair share for road maintenance, but some state proposals seemed...
Eric C. Evarts May 22, 2019
17 states have passed extra fees on electric cars; is that fair?
According to a new editorial by the Sierra Club, 17 states have now instituted new fees on electric cars—fees that other car owners don't have to pay—to try to recoup some of the money that electric-car drivers don't pay in gas taxes.
Eric C. Evarts April 17, 2018

Electric Vehicles Come Out Ahead Of Gas Cars On Taxes--Except In Two States: FURTHER UPDATE
Six states could soon levy separate taxes on electric cars.
Stephen Edelstein May 27, 2015
Why Electric-Car Owners Should Be Happy For New Colorado Tax
Stories about new or proposed taxes on electric cars are generally viewed as negative, even punitive, by plug-in vehicle advocates. Now, there's one that likely shouldn't cause all that much ruckus: Colorado is about to levy a $50 annual fee on any car that plugs into the wall to recharge its...
John Voelcker May 14, 2013
How Much Does NJ Per-Mile Tax Bill Affect Plug-In Cars?
It was always going to happen: Several states around the U.S. have realized they can charge electric car owners a tax to make up for the fact they don't pay any gas tax. Unfortunately, several states have also lumbered electric cars with an unfairly high tax--but is New Jersey's proposed per-mile...
Antony Ingram May 1, 2013
Michigan Jumps On The 'Tax Electric Cars' Bandwagon, Too
Richard Read April 25, 2013

Elected officials in yet another state have proposed levying taxes on electric cars. And just to make things interesting, this time the debate is happening in Michigan. Similar initiatives have been discussed in states both red and blue, including Arizona, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. Why tax hybrids and electric cars? Because they don't use gasoline -- or at least, they use less of it -- meaning that their owners cough up less gas tax revenue for state and federal coffers. And although there aren't nearly enough gas tax dollars to keep America's roads up to snuff, every little...
People Will Buy Electric Cars If They're Cheap, Privileged, And Convenient
Electric cars may be growing in popularity, but they still make up just a tiny percentage of the U.S. auto market. When will things take off? If sales in Norway are any indication, that will happen when electric vehicles become inexpensive, easy to own, and confer certain privileges. According to...
Richard Read January 9, 2013

GM to Washington State: Don’t Pass Electric Vehicle Taxation Law
For the past year, the state of Washington has been examining the possibility of putting a $100 annual surcharge on electric vehicle registrations. A contentious issue, the house bill proposed to help the state recoup tax dollars lost as more people switch from gas-guzzling cars to plug-in and...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield March 15, 2012
Washington State's $100 Electric Car Tax: Cheaper Than Gas Car Tax
Until recently, most electric car drivers haven’t been expected to pay an electric equivalent of gasoline taxes to help keep the roads and bridges of their state in good order. But earlier this month, the Washington state Senate passed a bill to the House which, if passed into law by the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield February 21, 2012