A Potential Unintended Consequence of Driving Electric Vehicles

Its easy to see the environmental impact driving electric vehicles can offer. Without harmful emissions, the air is much cleaner.

Without a gasoline engine, the drive is much quieter, giving owners of EVs a calm and serene way to enjoy the road. Unfortunately, without the use of gasoline, some states feel they need to fight back to charge drivers of electric vehicles a fee for the drive.

The Gasoline Tax Impact

When you pull up to a pump to fill your vehicle with gasoline, part of the cost you pay is the gasoline tax. This is one reason why gas may be cheaper or more expensive in a neighboring state. If your vehicle never has to stop and be filled up with gasoline, you’re never paying the gasoline tax. This could pose a serious problem as more EV models are being sold.

Texas is the State that Wants to Tax Electric Vehicles

You might not be surprised to learn that Texas state senators are working toward a bill that would change the experience of driving electric vehicles. This bill is proposed to charge those who have an EV registered in the state a specified amount each year. Whether you look at Texas as one of the last untamed areas of the world or you understand how this could make sense, there could be specific unintended consequences.

Currently, the proposal in the state senate is to charge drivers between $200 and $250 each year to drive an EV. Another part of this proposed bill is to charge an additional $190 per year when drives have driven their vehicles more than 9,000 miles. If this amount would level the playing field and cause owners of electric vehicles to pay fees when renewing their registration, would more drives shy away from EVs?

Texas isn’t the Only State Looking at Fees for EVs

Many states are trying to figure out how to collect money for EVs to be registered in their state. The state gas tax is used to pay for improvements to infrastructure, which is much needed around the country. If more EVs are being sold, less money is coming in to pay for these necessary improvements causing state governments to figure out what to do.

How Might This Impact Drivers of Electric Vehicles?

Right now, most EVs cannot compare to a gasoline-powered vehicle when it comes to convenience, driving range, and infrastructure. You can find a gas station on nearly every corner in the country and know that you can spend fifteen minutes or less filling your tank before you can get back on the road. This is a serious advantage to driving a vehicle that uses gasoline.

When driving electric vehicles, you know that you have to search for a place to charge, you might only get eighty percent of your full charge in thirty minutes or one hour, and then you have to charge again when you use up this electricity. The driving range of most EVs doesn’t come close to the range you experience with a gasoline-powered vehicle. Why then, would you want to drive an EV?

This Bill Could Force Drivers to Truly Become Eco-Friendly

The bill in the Texas state senate, if passed, would take away one of the benefits that EV owners experience right now. Currently, an owner of an EV cannot drive as far or as easily as those that own gasoline-powered vehicles. Finding charging stations can be daunting, and the time to charge isn’t even close to the time it takes to fill a tank of gas.

Taking away the benefit of not having to pay for gas, and the gas tax would mean that drivers of EV models will have to truly have the environment in mind. This is especially true for those who drive more than 9,000 miles in a single year. This additional fee, which could add up to $440 every year, might be enough to cause many to reconsider their choice of vehicle.

Will this Bill Pass in Texas?

There’s a good chance the bill to charge EV owners an annual fee could pass the state senate in Texas. It does only seem fair that these drivers should pay something toward infrastructure improvements, especially with many of those improvements being changes that bring electric charging stations to be used by drivers of electric vehicles. It will be interesting to see if the sales numbers for EVs rise or decline if this bill passes in Texas.