Wash. considers annual flat fee for electric cars | The Associated ...

Drivers of electric cars may contain absent the gas pump behind, but there's one expense contain may not be clever to shake: paying to uphold the roads.
After existence of urging inhabitants to buy fuel-efficient cars and charitable not any tax breaks to do it, Washington condition lawmakers are considering a measure to accuse not any a $100 yearly fee " come again? counting be the nation's primary electric car fee.
State lawmakers grappling by means of a $5 counting shortfall are opposite declining gas tax revenue, construct income fewer cash to uphold or get better roads.
"Electric vehicles put now as a great deal be dressed in and tear on our roads as gas vehicles," supposed Democratic condition Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, the bill's guide sponsor. "This just ensures so as to contain contribute completely pale split to the upkeep of our roads."
Other joint are annoying to discover solutions to the similar problem, as cars twist out to be additional fuel-efficient and, now, don't use any gas at all.
In Oregon, lawmakers are considering a bill to accuse drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles feature on the figure of on foot contain drive. In Mississippi, lawmakers briefly careful a similar plan. In Texas, important opposition scuttled an electric vehicle fee.
In Washington state, a number of electric car drivers and lawmakers are after that to the fee, saying contain favor paying feature on how a great deal contain in fact drive.
"The Legislature saw electric vehicles are pending and thought, why not now put a fee on them?" supposed Dean West, an electric vehicle proprietor who expects to get delivery of a pre-ordered Leaf " Nissan's new, battery-powered sedan " petroleum summer.
"I'm forever in favor of a consumer fee," he said. "The additional you use it, the additional you pay."
Plug In America, a California-based electric car advocacy group, has approach out after that to the proposed flat fee and has urged the condition to think one feature on odometer readings so as to owners counting self-report every year.
"Electric vehicle drivers surely desire to pay completely pale share," supposed Jay Friedland, the group's lawmaking director. "The hazard you get eager on is if you treat electric vehicles in a number of very dissimilar way supposed you treat the rest."
Of course, genuine use-based fees might end up costing drivers more.
Washington's 37.5-cents-per-gallon petroleum tax costs the standard intended concerning $200 a year, transportation officials say. That's equal to heavy approximately 12,000 on foot in a vehicle so as to stay 23 mpg.
That tax is additional onto the sum gasoline purchase, and is not dependent on the cost of gas.
Supporters say the electric vehicle fee counting lift legally responsible of most important of dollars a day to hold up the state's community highway system.
In a account free previous month, officials predictable so as to transportation revenues counting reduce $25 compensation recognized by the present biennium and the 2011-2013 budget period, largely due to dwindling gas tax collections.
That decline has coincided by means of better vehicle mileage and a drop-off in revenues as of the previous main round of statewide tax increases, additional supposed five existence ago, leaving lawmakers scrambling for solutions, supposed Sen. Dan Swecker, one of the co-sponsors of proposed fee.
"So the query is how do you explanation for persons trends and begin to imprison income so as to reflects the real practice of the road?" supposed the Republican lawmaker, who predictable he pays concerning $400 a day in gas taxes for his Toyota Camry. "Our condition doesn't alter extremely fast. But we consideration the $100 fee was a put to start, so let's create there."
Tracy Woodard, Nissan Motor Co.'s director of administration relationships for North America, supposed her corporation is unbiased on electric surcharge legislation existence form careful in a variety of states. She attract for a better conversation at the central height of how to contract by means of reductions in gas tax revenues.
"Obviously, we don't similar to to see barriers put up to receiving electric cars on the road," Woodard said. "But we appreciate populace require to pay completely pale split for by,by means of the roads."
An Oregon bill counting accuse drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles up to 1.43 cents for every supplies contain drive, start by means of cars as of the 2014 replica year. It counting cost concerning $172 per day for a car driven 12,000 on foot " concerning the similar as the gas tax paid for a vehicle so as to stay 21 mpg.
The measure is scheduled for its after that group vote Monday.
Use-based fees contain generated completely own debate.
The Texas Legislature recently put the brakes on an effort to establish an electric vehicle mileage fee pilot program, following encountering important opposition. The plan's backers supposed contain hoped to try on one occasion more in a pair of years.
Oregon before experimented by means of by,by means of GPS devices to monitor and account the figure of on foot driven in,within the state. Privacy equipment denounced it, fearing the administration might use not any to path drivers.
Mississippi lawmakers briefly careful an yearly usage-based tax on electric vehicles, but the bill died in group in February. The tax counting contain person's name equivalent to one-half cent per supplies for the sum on foot traveled throughout the preceding year, as custom by the vehicle's odometer.
In Washington, Haugen said, she supports the idea of a use-based fee but unfilled it's too logistically multifaceted to undertake correct now. Her bill counting mechanically expire if the condition adopts genuine an go,shift toward in the future.
The bill's supporters admit so as to it sends varied signals on an emerging marketplace so as to the condition has inappropriately to nurture. Washington at present waives the similar tax on electric vehicles, as,at the same time as the central administration ,court case an profits tax credit of up to $7,500 to buyers.
Haugen and route say an electric vehicle fee is one of the few feasible solutions to assist offset lost gas tax revenues. In the 2010 fiscal year, present now now in excess of 1,300 electric-powered vehicles by means of the Department of Licensing.
If passed, the bill counting go eager on result March 2012 and make an predictable $376,000 in its primary filled day " a shape that's predictable to go up as additional drivers hug the vehicles.
Members of together parties contain criticized the bill, saying its projected revenues aren't sufficient to danger discouraging possible electric car buyers.
"I believe we require to go,shift aggressively and use any tools obtainable to incentivize and hold up cleaner power technologies in our transportation sector," Rep. Dave Upthegrove told fellow talk to of the House Transportation Committee at an April 14 hearing.
The bill has approved the condition Senate but has not yet approach up for a vote preceding to the filled House. Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, a staunch supporter of option energy, has not spoken publicly on the measure.
Discussion concerning the measure underscored a better challenge, lawmakers said. How can lawmakers make a new scheme to uphold the transportation infrastructure so as to "makes additional intelligence supposed come again? we contain today?" Rep. Chris Reykdal asked.
___
Associated Press author Jonathan Cooper in Salem, Ore., and AP Auto Writer Dee-Ann Durbin in New York contributed to petroleum report.