U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, has introduced a new bill that would impose a fee on EV sales in the U.S. in an effort to replace lost gas tax revenue. The “Stop EV Freeloading Act” would impose a $1,000 fee on electric cars at the point of sale and an extra $550 on heavy batteries. The amount is meant to roughly replace the gas taxes that would be paid into the highway trust fund by internal combustion engine vehicles over their lifetimes. That fund currently supports over 90% of federal highway aid to states.
“It’s not fair to force the millions of Americans who don’t drive EVs to foot the bill for those who do. Our legislation will stop EVs from freeloading and force them to pay into the Highway Trust Fund like other vehicles. If the Biden administration plans to continue pushing EVs on the American people, the least Congress can do is require EVs to support the upkeep of our nation’s infrastructure,” said Senator Fischer.