Arkansas roads agency looks at fee levy for electric, hybrid vehicles
From today's Democrat-Gazette, the increased fee would make up for fuel taxes the state doesn't collect on those vehicles because, well, they don't use fuel:
"A lot of that is a policy issue and a fairness issue that we think needs to be set now before that sector really continues to grow so it is already in place because it's fair -- it really levels everything out," Bennett, the department director, told the Arkansas Highway Commission at a meeting to discuss legislative priorities earlier this month.
Under the preliminary proposal, registration fees also will go up for hybrid vehicles, which use regular gasoline but pay less in taxes because they get significantly improved mileage per gallon.
No bill has been filed yet, but preliminary estimates for the annual registration fee for electric vehicles would rise to $180 a year, according to one department official.
Also of note, there are 333 EVs registered in Arkansas, according to the story.
From today's Democrat-Gazette, the increased fee would make up for fuel taxes the state doesn't collect on those vehicles because, well, they don't use fuel:
"A lot of that is a policy issue and a fairness issue that we think needs to be set now before that sector really continues to grow so it is already in place because it's fair -- it really levels everything out," Bennett, the department director, told the Arkansas Highway Commission at a meeting to discuss legislative priorities earlier this month.
Under the preliminary proposal, registration fees also will go up for hybrid vehicles, which use regular gasoline but pay less in taxes because they get significantly improved mileage per gallon.
No bill has been filed yet, but preliminary estimates for the annual registration fee for electric vehicles would rise to $180 a year, according to one department official.
Also of note, there are 333 EVs registered in Arkansas, according to the story.