If you’re in California, be aware that there’s a hidden/sneaky “EV tax” and you’ll be paying (nearly) double registration fees every year. Mine went from $330 to alamost $700.
Also public charging is starting to be a problem as there’s not nearly enough charging stations and CA does nothing about it.
I mean I wouldn’t call it sneaky, it’s not like a conspiracy or anything. Most states pay for road maintenance and projects from gas taxes. Since EVs don’t use gas but still use roads they should pay their share too, so it makes sense it’d come from the registration. It’s still way less than paying for gas or taxes on gas.
Should be a variable charge like a gas tax placed on public EV chargers and not a one time yearly fee. There is a big consumption difference between a Hummer EV and a Smart EV.
EDIT: Not every state has thought clearly about additional EV fees. Starting later this year, Texans who drive electric cars will pay significantly more in registration fees than an average gas car driver pays in gas taxes each year…because it’s fucking Texas.
The issue with taxing public charging is you can just charge at home to avoid the tax. Also there are many public level 2 chargers that are free.
You’re also not paying gas taxes though. They have to make up the lost gas tax revenue somehow. Realistically, it should be based on the miles driven and the weight of the car (road damages increases exponentially with the weight of the vehicle), but for now they just have that flat EV tax.
