Right now (thanks, Van Halen, for making that phrase musical every time it starts a sentence), this is a state-level issue, but it’s one that may be taken up federally, as electric vehicle use increases on our roadways.
The state of Washington has introduced bill for a $100 annual fee on electric vehicle owners to help support the dwindling Washington Highway Trust Fund as consumers buy more electric vehicles (a per mile charge is also kicking around the state’s legislature). Washington currently taxes gasoline at a rate of 37.5 cents per gallon. That’s a sizable shortfall to make up, but something necessary since the Highway Trust Fund is used to repair Washington roadways.
Similar electric vehicle taxation has been discussed in Oregon, Kansas, Arizona and Utah. The taxation makes fiscal sense; who’s going to keep up the roads if we’re all driving electric cars and not paying taxes on gasoline? The vehicles still cause pavement wear and tear like petroleum-based cars, so someone will have to fork over money, even if paying whittles away at the purpose of driving electric cars (ie, avoiding the high-cost of gasoline).
It’s not a terrible thing when taxpayers are forced to think, “crap, someone actually has to pay for this, and it probably should be us.” Since, ya know, we’re the ones that use the roads. If not, the U.S. runs the risk of turning into Panama(another word that Van Halen has turned musical).
If you don’t live in Panama, and want to Jump at a chance to buy a new car, click here.
