Electric vehicle owners in Pennsylvania may soon have to pay more to help maintain the roads and bridges in the state, state Rep. Ed Neilson said.
Neilson, D-Phila., said Wednesday that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan agreement for legislation that would require electric vehicle owners to pay a fee to maintain Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges. Non-electric vehicle owners already pay this fee in the form of state taxes on the sale of gasoline.
“Everyone who uses Pennsylvania roads should have to pay their part to help keep our roads safe and our bridges in top shape,” Neilson said. “I’m happy to implement a solution that is fair, equitable and accommodating for Pennsylvania’s electric vehicle owners.”
Currently, electric vehicle owners are required to pay the Alternative Fuel Tax on electricity.
“Most owners do not do this because they are unaware that they must and because the process is too cumbersome, with owners having to self-report the tax to the Department of Revenue monthly based on how much electricity they use to charge their vehicles at home,” a press release from Neilson’s office said.
The new law would repeal the Alternative Fuel Tax and replace it with an annual fee of $200 in 2025, which would increase to $250 in 2026. After that, the fee would adjust annually based on the Consumer Price Index.
Neilson said EV owners would have the option of paying the fee in full or in monthly installments. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle owners would pay a reduced fee of $50 in 2025 and $63 in 2026.
“We want to ensure fairness while making it easier for EV owners to pay the fee at their convenience,” he said, noting that “the electric vehicle industry, car manufacturers and environmental advocacy organizations, including PennFuture, came together to help make this bill better.”
The bill now returns to the Pennsylvania Senate.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.
