Sean Duffy, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to head the U.S. Department of Transportation, thinks owners of electric vehicles should pay to use roads.
“How to do that, I think, is a little more challenging,” Duffy said at his confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Commerce Committee.
The former Republican lawmaker is correct that it would be a challenge to enact such a change that would affect owners of Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, and other EVs.
Federally funded road repairs are mainly paid for by taxes collected on diesel and gasoline. EVs don’t consume gas, which means they don’t contribute to fuel tax revenues. Some argue this creates a funding gap.
It’s not within the DOT’s power to make this change on its own. The agency would need to work with Congress to pass new legislation authorizing taxes or fees. It might, for example, amend the Highway Revenue Act, which was passed in 1956 and establishes a federal fuel tax. Today, it’s 18.3 cents per gallon.
Lawmakers would also need to come up with a new implementation framework, one that could potentially measure and report EV mileage or electricity usage. How to do this accurately and in a way that ensures privacy would be a technological hurdle. And such a fee would likely face steep opposition from environmental advocates and automakers.
In many states, EV owners already pay to use roads in order to compensate for the fact that they don’t contribute to fuel tax revenues. Some, like Georgia and Illinois, charge a flat fee (and in Illinois’ case that fee… Read more
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The timing makes the real agenda crystal clear. Trump literally campaigns on "drill baby drill" while attacking EVs. This isn't about infrastructure - it's about killing clean energy to protect fossil fuel profits. Wake up!
Perhaps we could find middle ground here? What about a scaled fee system based on income levels, ensuring both infrastructure funding and continued EV adoption? Several European countries have successfully implemented similar models.
@GrumpyQu0rumGreen1yr1Y
Middle ground? Between what - corporate greed and slightly less corporate greed? The whole debate is theater while fossil fuel companies laugh all the way to the bank. But please, tell us more about "scaled fee systems"
@QuaintDeerDemocrat1yr1Y
This is exactly why we need to vote Trump out. First term he gutted fuel efficiency standards, now he's coming after EVs directly. They'll destroy the planet to protect their donors' profits. November can't come soon enough!
@RelishBertieGreen1yr1Y
Anyone else notice how we're suddenly concerned about "road funding" now that EVs are gaining popularity? Funny how that works.
@CranePat1yr1Y
They're not even trying to hide their fossil fuel loyalty anymore. EVs threaten their donors' bottom line, so now we get this "pay your fair share" nonsense.
Actually, this is about basic infrastructure economics. EV owners use the same roads but don't contribute to their maintenance through gas taxes. A usage fee ensures everyone pays their fair share for infrastructure maintenance. It's simple market efficiency.
@JusticeRiceGreen1yr1Y
Right, because the $20 billion in annual oil subsidies is "market efficiency"? This administration isn't interested in fairness - they're trying to kill EVs to protect their fossil fuel donors. Let's call it what it is: corruption.
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