CERTAIN vehicle owners will have extra fees to pay as the popularity of electric vehicles has U.S. states trying to stay ahead of the growth.
Wyoming lawmakers recently met to discuss the possibility of hitting electric vehicle and hybrid car owners with a new fee to help cover road maintenance needs.
The state already collects a $200 registration fee from EV owners in Wyoming, trucking news outlet Land Line reported.
Those payments do benefit road maintenance but no fee is charged to owners of hybrid vehicles as of right now.
The panel voted to move forward with legislation that will make out-of-state EV owners supplement transportation funding by paying to charge up.
The legislators agreed to go forward with a plan to collect a tax on out-of-state vehicles at Level 3 DC fast charging stations.
The tax rate will reportedly be set at 4 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Fast charging is said to be ideal for travelers covering extended distances with short recharge stops.
Advocates stress that collecting a tax on out-of-state electric vehicles will create another transportation revenue source for the state.
“The idea is to try to catch … those out-of-state folks and tax them for the use of our roads,” Senator Stephen Pappas, reportedly told the committee.
A representative suggested adding a provision to the bill draft that would charge a $100 annual fee for plug-in hybrids registered in the state.
The committee approved including the provision in the bill draft.
The bill will be considered during the 2024 regular session.
More than 32 states already impose a special registration fee for plug-in EVs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Fees reportedly range from around $50 annually for plug-in electric vehicles in states like Colorado, Hawaii and South Dakota.
The costs can be as much as $225 annually for plug-in electric vehicles in Washington, according to Land Line.
