Wash. State senate passes bill to charge EV owners $100 annual fee
The Washington State Senate passed a bill that would charge electric car owners $100 per year to compensate for not paying gas taxes. The bill still has to pass the House.
While some states are still rolling out rebates for the purchases of new hybrid and plug-in vehicles, the Washington State Senate on Saturday passed a new law to make electric car owners pony up an extra $100 annual fee.
The reasoning behind the law is that although electric vehicles use the same roads as gas-powered vehicles, the owners don't pay gas taxes because they drive right past the pumps.
The Associated Press reported that Washington's gas tax, which is 37.5 cents per gallon, is the state's largest source of transportation dollars.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, passed on a 31-16 vote and goes next to the House. The same bill passed in the Senate last year but failed in the House, the Associated Press reported.
The bill does not apply to hybrid or low-speed electric vehicles (those that do not exceed 35 mph).