Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) has authored legislation that would increase the surcharge fee on all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, including motorcycles. If enacted, this bill would increase the surcharge for electric vehicles from $75 to $150.

“Considering the wear and tear on our roads, this bill simply ensures everyone is paying their fair share for driving in our state, regardless of whatever vehicle they choose to buy,” said Howe. “Funds from the gas tax usually cover wear and tear on our roads, but with the increase in electric vehicle purchases, we are missing that market of drivers. As our current law stands, when someone buys an electric vehicle, they’re circumventing an average of $229 of gas tax fees per year. We all use these roads, so we should all be paying for their maintenance.”

Notably, a study was recently done by The Telegraph in Britain, and was also cited by the National Motorists Association, showing that electric vehicles put “2.24 times more stress on roads as gas vehicles.” It was also found that the impact is larger as the vehicle size increase, as bigger EVs “can lead to up to 2.32 times more damage.”

The bill had its first hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee and was sent to the Taxes Committee.