Texas EV owners prepare as additional fees kick in Sep. 1st

Texas electric vehicle owners are preparing for a rule change after state lawmakers approved a $200 annual fee added to their EV’s registration charges.

Earlier this year, Texas lawmakers gave the green light to a fee that applies to all electric cars and trucks in the state. This fee, including a $400 charge for first-time registration, aims to fix what legislators pointed out as an unfair difference in taxes paid by drivers at gas stations, as there was no way to tax the power used by vehicles like a Tesla or a Ford Lightning electric truck.

Over 30 states currently enforce an extra fee, typically linked to registration, for electric cars and trucks. North Carolina levies a yearly fee of $130, while California, which boasts the highest number of electric vehicles, imposes an annual charge of $100.

As of August, there were 211,000 registered electric vehicles in the Lone Star state, according to the Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities Coalition, with close to 30,000 in Harris County alone.

For existing electric vehicle owners, the yearly fee upon registration renewal will amount to $200 if the renewal takes place on or after September 1, 2023. If you happen to buy a new electric vehicle on or after September 1, you will receive a two-year registration and face an initial electric vehicle fee of $400.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles will oversee the fee, though it is collected though county tax assessor-collectors. Revenue collected from the fee will be deposited into the state highway fund to help pay for roadway construction and maintenance projects.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]

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