By Steven Symes 
The state of Oregon is weighing charging EV owners for each mile they drive, like what Hawaii does, in a controversial move. While the idea has been floated out there for some time as states notice electric car owners aren’t paying fuel taxes to help maintain the roads they use, a lot of EV owners seem to believe they shouldn’t pay into the pot.
California kills Jay Leno’s beloved classic car bill.
But Oregon is facing a bit of a crisis with a $300 million transportation budget shortfall. If state officials don’t act, it could result in street repairs, snowplowing, and other services being cut, reports the AP. We bet EV owners sure would complain then.
A special session of the state legislature was held on August 29 to decide what to do about the problem. While the state Senate had no issues with its session, in the House not even two thirds of the representatives showed up, meaning quorum wasn’t met and so no official business could be conducted.
The issue of what to do about the state transportation budget shortfall has been an item of contention for months. While some in the legislature believe charging EV owners a per-mile usage fee is fair, others fear their pro-electric car constituents will think otherwise.
But those who drive gas- or diesel-fueled cars already provide funding for the state’s transportation budget in the form of the fuel tax. That’s something electric car owners skip out on, which is why as their numbers have grown in Oregon many blame them for at least part of the budget shortfall.
For the government to charge anyone based on the number of miles they drive, it would be necessary to track where people drive. That brings up a whole slate of privacy concerns.
Some EV proponents fear charging electric cars per mile driven each year will lead to fewer people buying them.
So far, Hawaii is the only state with a road usage charge for EV owners. While the idea has been floated elsewhere, it hasn’t been put into action.
Image via Tesla
Mike Johnson