If you were to purchase an all-electric vehicle, you probably thought you were making out like a bandit, right? After all, now you're free from the grips of paying at the pumps AND you can argue you're doing the environment good by plugging in instead of filling up. Oh, AND you were incentivized by our government to go pick up a set of "eco-friendly" wheels.
Well, Washington State is essentially saying "not so fast," as its lawmakers have passed a bill to charge an annual, $100 fee to owners of all-electric vehicles. Officials are claiming that electric vehicle owners avoid contributing to road and highway improvements as those funds are brought in at the pump to the tune of 37.5 cents per gallon of gasoline.
Cue the "fair share" argument.
This tax will be imposed annually when registration is renewed in addition to the other standard fees associated with renewal.
**To be clear, hybrid vehicles that utilize gasoline are not included in this annual tax.
Washington State has found a way to make up for revenue lost from owners of electric cars: everyone who took advantage of the thousands of dollars in federal and state incentives to purchase a gas-free vehicle will now be charged a $100 annual fee.
The new tax will take effect February 1, 2013; lawmakers claim the electric car owners are avoiding paying the taxes for roadway usage because such taxes are included in the price of gasoline. The state of Washington includes a 37.5 cents per gallon tax on gasoline, the state’s largest source of transportation dollars.
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