Washington State Considers Annual Flat Fee for Electric Cars

A user base tax to drive a car on public road is another way how the government is trying to siphon every penny we earn. This tax will affect every person who owns a car. It will affect every social economic class; from the poor to the very rich. The government doesn't discriminate anybody because they believes it's their money and they want it. By the way, the user base tax will not only affect electric cars, but also, eventually affect cars that run on gas and the combination of gas/electric. The government isn't stupid. They have all areas covered. The annual flat fee to drive an electric car is only the beginning.

(Yahoo) OLYMPIA, Wash. – Drivers of electric cars may have left the gas pump behind, but there's one expense they may not be able to shake: paying to maintain the roads.

After years of urging residents to buy fuel-efficient cars and giving them tax breaks to do it, Washington state lawmakers are considering a measure to charge them a $100 annual fee — what would be the nation's first electric car fee.

State lawmakers grappling with a $5 billion deficit are facing declining gas tax revenue, which means less money to maintain or improve roads.

"Electric vehicles put just as much wear and tear on our roads as gas vehicles," said Democratic state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, the bill's lead sponsor. "This simply ensures that they contribute their fair share to the upkeep of our roads."

Other states are trying to find solutions to the same problem, as cars become more fuel-efficient and, now, don't use any gas at all.

In Oregon, lawmakers are considering a bill to charge drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles based on the number of miles they drive. In Mississippi, lawmakers briefly considered a similar plan. In Texas, significant opposition scuttled an electric vehicle fee.

In Washington state, some electric car drivers and lawmakers are against the fee, saying they prefer paying based on how much they actually drive.

Of course, such use-based fees could end up costing drivers more.