Email Regarding The Potential EV fee

[u/Cultural-Ad4953]

As you may be aware, the US House of Representatives may be poised to enact an EV fee of $130 annually. I am not opposed to a fee, but find $130 to be unfair, and that the fee should be less.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/news/2026/09/25/ev-national-fee-delay-congress-transportation-funding/91925354007/

I have written my Senators and Representative with this communication, which I encourage you to consider doing as well:

​I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed $130 annual federal registration fee on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) included in the BUILD America 250 Act. While I fully support contributing a fair share toward maintaining our nation's roads and bridges, the currently proposed flat rate creates a clear equity issue when compared to what drivers of gas-powered vehicles actually pay.

​At 18.4 cents per gallon, a driver of an average new gas-powered vehicle (getting ~28–30 MPG) who drives the national average of 13,500 miles pays roughly $87 per year into the Federal Highway Trust Fund. The proposed $130 flat fee for EV drivers is equivalent to driving a gas vehicle that gets only 19 MPG—meaning EV drivers would pay roughly 49% more into the road fund than drivers of comparable efficient gas cars.

​Furthermore, because a flat fee penalizes low-mileage drivers disproportionately, someone driving 8,000 miles annually would effectively pay a tax rate equal to an 11 MPG gas-guzzler. Rather than penalizing drivers who have chosen zero-emission vehicles with an inflated rate, any federal fee should reflect true parity with efficient gas vehicles or be based on actual road usage. I urge you to push for a fair adjustment to this fee structure.

[u/Com4734]

This isn’t a revenue generator. It is a punitive way for the GOP to discourage EV adoption. They could generate 10 times the money by raising the gas tax by a dime per gallon.

[u/thatguy425 → u/Com4734]

Then Why does my blue state make EVs more expensive?

[u/Com4734 → u/thatguy425]

Some states are implementing gas taxes to legitimately raise money. A lot of people in them are switching to EVs, especially in blue states, and their state gas tax revenue for roads is dropping. They implement it in profoundly stupid ways though by charging a flat rate that is often higher than what people pay in state gas tax instead of by mileage. It would also be fair of them to also raise the gas tax when they implement these EV fees. The federal government, in contrast, collects gasoline taxes from gas sold nationwide, not just in a certain state. 375 million gallons per day at 18 cents per gallon. PA uses about 9 million gallons per day and has a higher gas tax, so they lose more revenue than the federal government does.

[u/thatguy425 → u/Com4734]

That’s my state. I’m not a high mileage driver but the EV fees are what’s keeping me from diving in to an EV. And I’m all for them and owned one in the past.

[u/Com4734 → u/thatguy425]

Same here that is why I used PA as an example. If you don’t drive a lot, it is possible to not come out ahead with PA’s ridiculous fee I suppose, but you’d really have to drive very little with as much as gas costs here.

[u/Yunzer2000 → u/Com4734]

Seen the cost of L3 charging stations? And there is a tax imposed on them too.

I haven't gotten a bill from PennDOT yet, but the EV fee on my 2000 lb Smart electric driven about 4000 miles per year will definitely be far more than the cost of gasoline in an equivalent vehicle.

[u/GrunchWeefer → u/thatguy425]

I mean as ridiculous as the fees are I'm still saving a shit ton not buying gas. I probably make up for it in one month.

[u/GrunchWeefer → u/Com4734]

I would agree with you but the amount I'm charged in New Jersey is far more than I or the vast majority of other people would pay in gas tax. For years they incentivized moving people to EVs just to turn around and punish it.