We are talking about the American state of Texas, where electric vehicle drivers are to be attracted to road tolls. Local representatives of the Republican Party came up with this initiative.
The politicians explain their position by the fact that road infrastructure is financed, among other things, by a tax included in the cost of fuel. And since electric vehicles do not use fossil fuel, their owners do not contribute to maintaining roads in proper technical condition.
Republicans believe that owners of electric cars, as well as regular cars, should pay a tax for the use of public roads. Politicians have already developed a bill according to which they want to charge electric vehicle owners from 190 to 240 dollars annually. And if the annual mileage exceeds 14,500 km – another 150 dollars on top.
The document notes that currently up to 300,000 electric vehicles travel through Texas per year. The introduction of the tax will bring an additional 37.8 million dollars a year to the state budget, and by 2026 this figure will grow to 135.6 million dollars. If the bill is adopted, it will come into force on September 1, 2021.
In turn, the organization Plug in America (PIA) has come out categorically against such taxation. Activists argue that owners of gasoline cars pay much less fees - 73 dollars a year. In addition, already in 20 states, a registration fee ranging from 50 to 200 dollars is charged from electric vehicle owners. Finally, the last argument is that soon a new Tesla plant, Tesla Gigafactory Texas, should open in Texas, which will produce environmentally friendly cars and, more importantly, provide the region with additional jobs.
In this regard, supporters of electric vehicles demand the establishment of a fairer fee, equal for all. In particular, they advocate the adoption of a tax that would depend solely on the mileage and weight of the vehicle.
Time will tell how events will develop further.
