While Biden’s working towards a future where everyone’s forced to buy an electric car in the next decade, effectively pricing the average American out of affordable transportation, Texas legislators decided to go for a counterblow.
Earlier this week, legislation was passed with unanimous support, requiring all-electric vehicle owners to pay a yearly $200 fee to register their cars.
Not so cost-effective now, is it?
Without even a grain of hesitation, the bill was sent straight to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s desk; if he signs it, it will become law in the state.
The government gets you coming and going. 😹
Texas electric vehicle owners would have to pay $200 annual fees in proposed legislation
According to the authors of the bill, the fees are necessary in order to make electric vehicles (EV) pay their fair share of highway costs.… pic.twitter.com/jqX3RnlJhe
— Bad Kitty Unleashed 🦁💪🏻 (@pepesgrandma) April 29, 2023
State Senator Robert Nichols, who is one of the many sponsors of the legislation, explained the fee exists, due to EV drivers not paying any gas taxes when charging their vehicles.
As we near the time when Texas streets will be filled with electric vehicles, many concerns regarding their contribution to the funding of the roads have arisen, seeing as EVs effectively evade a number of different taxes ICE car drivers face.
The fuel tax is used to fund a number of different projects across the state of Texas. With the growing number of EVs on the road, this funding would gradually disappear, reducing the state’s ability to perform improvements and repairs on Texas roads.
Texas decided to not allow people to buy Teslas in the state. It’s a long and complicated story, but the funny thing is that you still can’t go and buy a Tesla in TX, yet Tesla’s global headquarters is now located there. Texas is going charge $200 annual fee on EV owners. 🍑🍆🐫
— TOM 🇺🇦🙏🏻 (@lonestarmoocher) April 30, 2023
“Revolution of transport“ delayed in Texas
Unfortunately, a great deal of consumer protection and environmental groups opposed the bill, claiming it’s targeting EV drivers with malicious intent.
That being said, electric vehicles use the same roads that every other car does. There’s nothing preventing them from being subject to the same taxes that other drivers are paying.
The bill was explained in full detail during a Senate Transportation Committee hearing held on March 22nd.
This didn’t stop the aforementioned groups from calling the tax punitive and claiming it should be at least as low as $70, based on their own analysis of state gas tax revenues from the average consumer.
"Texas has a stated goal of bringing electric vehicles (EVs) to the state."
"(a tax on EVs) would seem to be in opposition to that goal."
"a tax on EVs would be unfair"#BardAI https://t.co/EE0WmCaVOb pic.twitter.com/6ATSt6Y6T7— Compulyze (@compulyze) April 29, 2023
If Abbott does sign the bill, it will go into effect on September 1.
Executive director of Environment Texas, Luke Metzger, described the legislation as a way of pouring sugar into EV tanks, as the fee would make affording EVs much more difficult for the average Texan.
This article appeared in The Record Daily and has been published here with permission.
