The cost of owning an electric vehicle in Illinois may be going way, way up in Illinois. State Senator Martin Sandoval has proposed a bill that would increase the annual registration fee for owning an EV in the state from $17.50 to $1,000. It’s part of the state’s plan for collecting additional funding for improving roads and other infrastructure.
While hybrids and plug-in electric hybrids would be exempt from that hike, the bill also increases fees for standard vehicles from $98 to $148 and the gas tax to 44 cents a gallon. EV owners are presumably getting the raw end of the deal because they haven’t been contributing to the state’s gas tax revenue.
“Imposing fees on EVs that are over 400 percent more than their gasoline-powered counterparts is not only unfair, it discourages promising new technology that will reduce our dependence on petroleum, reduce emissions, and promote the Illinois economy,” Rivian spokesman Michael McHale said. The legislation, introduced this week by Democratic Sen. Martin Sandoval of Chicago, would raise about $2.4 billion in annual transportation funding, according to its backers.