You Bought Electric. Now Pay Up.
41 states now charge EV owners annual road use fees — because your car doesn't pay gas tax, and the roads still need fixing.
Why This Exists — The Highway Trust Fund
America's roads, bridges, and highways are funded through the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) — a federal mechanism that finances roughly 90% of federal highway programs. The problem? Its main revenue source is broken.
Funded by Gas Tax
The federal gas tax is 18.4¢/gallon for gasoline and 24.4¢/gallon for diesel. It hasn't been raised or inflation-adjusted since 1993.
Purchasing Power Halved
In real terms, the gas tax is worth about half what it was in 1993. Inflation has eroded its value while road costs have soared.
EVs Pay $0 Gas Tax
Electric vehicle owners use the roads but contribute nothing to the gas-tax-funded Highway Trust Fund. As EV adoption grows, the gap widens.
States Fill the Gap
To recoup lost revenue, 41 states have introduced annual EV surcharges — flat fees that EV owners pay at registration.
State-by-State EV Fee Lookup
Search for your state to see the annual EV road use fee. Fees shown are for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) — hybrids and PHEVs may differ.
The Federal Picture
There's no federal EV road use tax yet — but that may change. The gas tax that funds the Highway Trust Fund hasn't kept pace with reality.
⚠️ Proposed: Federal EV Fee
A GOP proposal in Congress would impose a $250/year fee on fully electric vehicles and $100/year on hybrids. If passed, these would stack on top of existing state fees. An EV owner in New Jersey could face $520/year in combined road use fees.
The chart below shows how the 18.4¢/gallon federal gas tax has lost purchasing power since 1993. If it had been indexed to inflation, it would be roughly 36¢/gallon today.
Pennsylvania Spotlight
Pennsylvania charges one of the highest EV fees in the nation: $250/year. But is it fair? PA also has one of the highest gas taxes at 57.6¢/gallon. Here's how the math works out for an average PA driver:
The EV driver pays slightly less — $38 less per year — but the gap is narrow. Pennsylvania's EV fee was designed to approximate what a typical gas-car driver contributes in state fuel taxes.
Did You Know?
The 18.4¢ federal gas tax has been unchanged for 33 years — set in 1993 when gas cost $1.07/gallon.
If the gas tax had kept up with inflation, it would be ~36¢/gallon today — nearly double the current rate.
An EV driver in New Jersey + the proposed federal fee would pay $520/year in road use fees alone.
9 states still charge $0 for EVs — but that number is shrinking fast as more states introduce legislation.