EV drivers will pay $130 a year under Congress' 2026 transportation bill

Some states have already started imposing a registration fee on clean vehicles to offset reduced gas tax receipts. At some point, when a significant proportion of the country’s vehicles are EVs or PHEVs, an alternative road-funding method that does not rely on the gas tax will certainly be in order.

EV adoption in the US has taken a severe hit since the election of President Trump and the abolition of federal clean-vehicle incentives; as of now, EVs make up barely 3 percent of the entire vehicle fleet. The federal gas tax has not been increased since 1993; had it been adjusted to keep pace with inflation, it would add an extra 42.34c to a gallon rather than a pathetic 18.4 cents currently.

"Drivers of gas-powered vehicles pay approximately $73 to $89 in federal gas tax each year. The proposed fee would charge an unfair premium on EV drivers at a time when all Americans are looking for ways to save money," said Albert Gore, executive director of the Zero Emissions Transportation Association.

United States

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