Electric Vehicle Owners Could Face Annual Fees In Florida In 2024
Electric vehicles have been the talk of the town for the past few years. Chances are you know someone who owns one of these vehicles. Recently, Florida lawmakers are talking about imposing annual registration fees on electric vehicles in Florida.
This past Wednesday, the Senate Transportation Committee backed proposal SB 28. SB 28 states that the annual license tax would be $200 for electric vehicles and $25 for electric motorcycles. Beginning in 2029, the additional annual license tax would jump to $250 for electric vehicles and $35 for electric motorcycles.
For all plug-in hybrid vehicles (mixture of electric and gas) the annual license tax would be $50 and for plug-in hybrid motorcycles the annual license tax would be $10. By 2029, the annual license tax fee would double for both plug-in hybrid vehicles and hybrid motorcycles.
According to reports, Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, is a sponsor of this bill. Hooper called into question the “fairness” for everyone who drives on the state’s roads. The fee structure is based upon numbers from the Electric Drive Transportation Association.
“The association projects motorists who drive 10,000 miles a year pay about $190 a year in federal, state and local gas taxes, Hooper said. For people who drive 12,000 miles a year, the combined taxes come to about $228 a year,” said Hooper.
Why are officials talking about electric vehicle taxes now?
In 2023, the Senate had proposed a similar bill, but it did not pass through the House. Hooper’s bill will start to make its rounds in the January 9, 2024 session. Two thirds of the proposed registration fees would be going to the State Transportation Trust fund with local governments getting the rest.
If passed, the bill is proposed to generate $65 million a year, according to state economists. At the end of 2022, Florida had 167,990 registered EVs. This number was up over 95,000 more than in 2021.
Do you own an electric vehicle? Are you opposed or in favor of the annual registration fees on electric vehicles in Florida? Be on the lookout for updates on this bill, and to learn more, read the bill here.
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