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

[ZenRockGarden]

There's an easy solution to the "but we funded our highways with a gas tax that EV's don't pay" problem:

Enact a new tax on ALL vehicles to pay for your road maintenance. Size it so you can rescind the gas tax. Everyone pays the same. The end.

 

[Talmen]

Texas has done away with inspections!! So that will not work.

Technically yes... but that new law does not go into effect until Jan 1, 2025. So, for the rest of 2023/2024, we still have to do the annual inspection.

 

[EVer Hopeful]

Texas has done away with inspections!! So that will not work.

. . . because they wanted so much to emulate Oklahoma


<roll eyes>

 

[DayTrippin]

Another problem with charging by the mile would be impactful for those who travel a lot outside of Texas and put a significant number of miles on that way.

 

[EVer Hopeful]

yeah, but if every state did this, then people living in other states would balance it out

 

[CrazyRabbit]

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.

I think the 200 bucks covers both federal and state. But state isn’t giving the feds their cut. State says they would just get it all back from the feds anyway.

 

[WidowMaker03TX]

Has anyone in Texas paid the $200 registration fee?

 

[brkaus]

Has anyone in Texas paid the $200 registration fee?

My Nov renewal didn’t list It. Going to get inspected tomorrow and try to pay online and see what happens.

 

[freed0m]

Has anyone in Texas paid the $200 registration fee?

Yes, I had to a couple of days ago.

 

[brkaus]

My Nov renewal didn’t list It. Going to get inspected tomorrow and try to pay online and see what happens.

Raced to get the inspection and then went to renew. The $200 was added online but wasn’t in the paper.

I assume if I mail it and send the lesser amount they will just send a bill.

 

[EVer Hopeful]

I assume if I mail it and send the lesser amount they will just send a bill.

You think they're that well organised?

 

[GWord]

I had my county register my wife's model Y with a total weight of > 10,000lbs as an experiment to see how this part of the new law is implemented:

11 SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
12 is amended by adding Section 502.360 to read as follows:
13 Sec. 502.360. ADDITIONAL FEE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES. (a) In
14 this section, "electric vehicle" means a motor vehicle that has a
15 gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less and uses electricity as its
16 only source of motor power.

 

[WaxJack]

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

That is true.

In the Fees section, electric vehicles are specifically mentioned with a new vehicle getting a two-year registration.

Register Your Vehicle | TxDMV.gov

And even mentioned in this press release.

https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default...Electric_Vehicle_Registration_Fee_Release.pdf

 

[WaxJack]

Yes, I had to a couple of days ago.

Did that include the 50-ish dollars for the locality you are registering the vehicle in?

 

[Talmen]

That is true.

In the Fees section, electric vehicles are specifically mentioned with a new vehicle getting a two-year registration.

Register Your Vehicle | TxDMV.gov

And even mentioned in this press release.

https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default...Electric_Vehicle_Registration_Fee_Release.pdf

True, the press release shows that, but Tesla's don't get 2-year stickers. 2-year stickers are only issued to brand new cars sold by a new car dealer recognized and registered with the state... I can't find any new laws that would have modified that rule, so I assume it's still valid. Tesla can't register as a new car dealer either since Texas doesn't allow sales direct from the manufacturer.

Since Tesla can't register as a new car dealer with Texas, any new cars they sell are only supposed to only get 1-year sticker, even when first registered. When I bought my Model Y in Feb 2021, I only got a 1-year sticker on a brand-new registration.

I have seen some isolated stories about a limited number of people getting lucky and receiving a 2-year sticker on their car when first registering it, but that would have been an error on the part of the DMV and/or tax office. Anyone getting a 2-year sticker on their new Tesla bought direct from Tesla just got lucky as that is not what was supposed to happen.

It's obvious the lawmakers set the $400 price based on the 2-years new car registration, but I assume it would be knocked down to $200 for a new Tesla since they only get a 1-year sticker.

 

[WaxJack]

@Talmen

What you are saying is true, as well. However I never mentioned Tesla by name. I was only pointing out the fact that a mention of $400 would be for a 2 year first time registration, not a first time, one year registration. I also wanted to back that up with official documents from the state.

I have registered a new Tesla three times in Texas and never had the luck to get a two year registration so that must be a rare occurrence.

 

[SalisburySam]

Hmmm, a bit of double taxation here. We already pay state/regional/local/neighborhood/guy-next-door taxes on the electricity that goes into our EVs. No such analog with gasoline/diesel. Where in the highway use fees is that little factoid accommodated?

 

[Talmen]

Hmmm, a bit of double taxation here. We already pay state/regional/local/neighborhood/guy-next-door taxes on the electricity that goes into our EVs. No such analog with gasoline/diesel. Where in the highway use fees is that little factoid accommodated?

Those taxes on your electric bill are not going into the state's road maintenance fund. The EV Road Tax is meant to put about the same amount of money into that fund that an average car that drives an average number of miles does when it buys gas all year.

The state calculated EV road tax like this.

Texas Gas Tax = $0.20/gal​

Fed Gas Tax = $0.184/gal​

Average Annual Miles = 15,000​

Average ICE Fuel Econ = 30/Mpg​

​

(15,000 Annual Miles / 30 Mpg) * ($0.20 State Gas Tax + $0.184 Fed Gas Tax) = $192 EV Road Tax Equivalent​

The state then most likely rounded that result up to $200.

The math shows they based the EV tax on roughly the equivalent tax you would have paid on 500 gallons of fuel annually. Since there isn't a practical way to collect this road tax at a point of sale for EVs, they went with this flat tax model.

 

[lencap]

We have similar fees in NC. I’m not surprised that this law was enacted, but I am surprised that the vote was unanimous: 145-0. Tesla just shifted from CA to TX as official headquarters. I would have thought at least a few politicians would register some small indirect support for EVS by voting against the legislation.

 

[EVer Hopeful]

I would have thought at least a few politicians would register some small indirect support for EVS by voting against the legislation.

I would have thought that Tesla would have done some significant arm-twisting before moving the HQ to Texas