Looks like it's headed to being official - $400 registration fee and $200 annual fee in Texas for EVs

[brkaus]

Texans could pay $200 annual fee to drive electric vehicles

By a vote of 145-0 Thursday, the Texas House gave approval to legislation that would impose an annual $200 fee on drivers of electric vehicles.

www.kxan.com

Approved in both house and senate.

 

[DayTrippin]

That seems excessive. It would cost me more per mile in taxes than I paid for my hybrid car based on gas taxes.

 

[brkaus]

Very excessive. Especially having first year at 2x.

 

[redintegra]

Indiana here also has a $150 annual ev registration fee.

 

[Abraham]

This really sucks. The dealer and O&G lobby wins again.

 

[brkaus]

This really sucks. The dealer and O&G lobby wins again.

It seams like it slipped through very quick without much notice.

I’m surprised Tesla didn’t encourage involvement like they have in the past.

Either they aren’t paying attention or just let it slide. Not impressed with either.

 

[fredzos]

already know that abbott is ready to sign that bill

 

[ATPMSD]

This is not unreasonable, we pay $200 / year in Georgia. The purpose of the tax it to get EVs to pay their fair share of the road tax paid by ICE cars. Unfortunately, it is a flat tax which is not based on mileage like the gas tax which is based on consumption. Until someone comes up with a better approach this is how the States are going to collect the road tax from EVs.

 

[DayTrippin]

The issue here is the eff'd us. State gas tax is $.20/gallon. So that would cover 1,000 gallons of gas. If my car got 30 mpg, then I could go 30k miles. How many people drive 30k miles in an EV? Not a lot, though there are some. Average person drives about 12k miles a year. Factor in the serious, Ben Dover effing for the initial registration and you can see how bad it really is.

I'd need to be driving a pickup with 10 mpg, to even make this remotely fair, let alone the initial Ben Dover registration fee. That is the problem I have it it. It isn't even remotely fair and limited thought was put into this. FYI - my last diesel pickup got 30 mph on the highway and if I drove a Prius and used it for comparison, we got eff'd even more.

Make it $100 a year and no complaints from me.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

The issue here is the eff'd us. State gas tax is $.20/gallon. So that would cover 1,000 gallons of gas. If my car got 30 mpg, then I could go 30k miles. How many people drive 30k miles in an EV? Not a lot, though there are some. Average person drives about 12k miles a year. Factor in the serious, Ben Dover effing for the initial registration and you can see how bad it really is.

I'd need to be driving a pickup with 10 mpg, to even make this remotely fair, let alone the initial Ben Dover registration fee. That is the problem I have it it. It isn't even remotely fair and limited thought was put into this. FYI - my last diesel pickup got 30 mph on the highway and if I drove a Prius and used it for comparison, we got eff'd even more.

Make it $100 a year and no complaints from me.

You do need to add in the Federal tax as well. States effectively get that money back.

Also, average miles per driver is relatively higher in Texas. 16,171.

But yes, I think it sucks. Per mile is an obvious way to go unless there's more overall reform.

I guess you'll have to swap to a used Gen 2 Volt to cut your costs. Or maybe get an i3 REX.

 

[GWord]

Ironically, the Hummer EV will be exempted due to its high gross weight.

 

[ScoobyDoo82]

Lol, here in California it’s over $700

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Very excessive. Especially having first year at 2x.

That's just because you get a 2-year initial registration, right?

 

[brkaus]

That's just because you get a 2-year initial registration, right?

I don’t believe so. Since teslas are technically purchased out of state the 2 year new vehicle registration/inspection isn’t available.

At least for our current 2 teslas purchased new a while back.

 

[melsee]

They should have made the tax based on milage. Each year when you get your vehicle inspected, they get the milage. Subtract last year mileage and they would get the miles driven and compute the tax at a per mile rate.

 

[DayTrippin]

I don't mind paying my fair share but I really feel like the Texas version is sort of like she got the coal mine and I got the shaft scenarios. Since moving Texas from Florida, I am missing it more and more. I like that there are no state income taxes in either place but I get ponded on property tax here, sales tax, insurance, etc. and soon it will be this future EV tax.

So when are they going to start taxing the heavy trailers that everyone tows around here? I am sure they are doing a lot more wear and tear on the roads than my model 3 or S do. On my motorcycles they are making out like a bandit on the gas tax received vs damage done.

I am curious how much of the TX gas tax is diverted toward public transit.

 

[ATPMSD]

The issue here is the eff'd us. State gas tax is $.20/gallon. So that would cover 1,000 gallons of gas. If my car got 30 mpg, then I could go 30k miles. How many people drive 30k miles in an EV? Not a lot, though there are some. Average person drives about 12k miles a year. Factor in the serious, Ben Dover effing for the initial registration and you can see how bad it really is.

I'd need to be driving a pickup with 10 mpg, to even make this remotely fair, let alone the initial Ben Dover registration fee. That is the problem I have it it. It isn't even remotely fair and limited thought was put into this. FYI - my last diesel pickup got 30 mph on the highway and if I drove a Prius and used it for comparison, we got eff'd even more.

Make it $100 a year and no complaints from me.

For reference in Georgia

Average miles driven: 15,000
National wide average MGP 25.4
Federal + GA State Gas Tax is $0.474 / gallon

Thus 15,000 / 25.4 * 0.474 = $280, the EV fee in Georgia is $230

So if you are "average" the fee for an EV is cheaper. Obviously, those who drive less and have cars with better MPGs are worse off when they switch to an EV, but as has been noted, until we come up with a way to charge EVs by the mile the "average" is what we have to live with.

 

[brkaus]

They should have made the tax based on milage. Each year when you get your vehicle inspected, they get the milage. Subtract last year mileage and they would get the miles driven and compute the tax at a per mile rate.

Mileage has issues too... for example miles driven out of state or people from other states driving here.

A connected car could calculate all of it, including toll roads w/o toll booths. If they all had it, no one worried about privacy, and people didn't hack stuff...

But if this flat fee is so great, perhaps they should move all cars to this method and eliminate the gas tax. I'd really love to see the data on how much actual gas tax is collected vs the number of cars in Texas, etc.

 

[DayTrippin]

For reference in Georgia

Average miles driven: 15,000
National wide average MGP 25.4
Federal + GA State Gas Tax is $0.474 / gallon

Thus 15,000 / 25.4 * 0.474 = $280, the EV fee in Georgia is $230

So if you are "average" the fee for an EV is cheaper. Obviously, those who drive less and have cars with better MPGs are worse off when they switch to an EV, but as has been noted, until we come up with a way to charge EVs by the mile the "average" is what we have to live with.

I would just be looking at the state gas tax as I am sure TX, GA isn't sending anything from their money back to the Feds for the road.

I don't want any IN CAR monitoring as well all know where that will lead. Nothing good will come of that. If they want to validate miles during an inspection, I am more on board with that.

 

[ATPMSD]

I would just be looking at the state gas tax as I am sure TX, GA isn't sending anything from their money back to the Feds for the road.

The scary part of this is that once the Feds wise up to the revenue they are losing due to EVs not paying the Fed gas tax, we’ll see a Fed EV tax.