Illinois will hike fee for Teslas, Bolts and other EVs -- but to $248, not $1,000:

[PoliticAverse]

'They’ve cut it back from an outrageous number'

It’s not quite sticker shock, but Illinois electric vehicle owners will have to pay $248 in annual registration fees next year — $100 more than what owners of gas-burning cars pay — as part of the state’s sweeping road improvement legislation.

For the growing ranks of EV owners, its a big bump up from the $17.50 per year they currently pay, but a lot lower than the $1,000 fee lawmakers proposed last month in a bid to compensate for the loss of state gas tax revenue.

“They’ve cut it back from an outrageous number to a more reasonable number,” said Tom Coleman, 69, of Naperville, who bought a new Chevy Bolt last year. “Most EV owners are going to feel a lot better than $1,000, but still upset.”

The Illinois General Assembly approved Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s $45 billion package of transportation infrastructure improvements over the weekend, boosting everything from gas tax to vehicle registration fees to foot the bill.

Read the rest at: https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-illinois-ev-fee-hike-20190603-story.html

[mucifer]

1. For those angry about this and the gas tax:

electric vehicles don't pay the gas tax so it's about equity. Everyone should pay for the things the gas tax supports:

The gas tax goes into a fund that pays for all sorts of transportation projects around the state, including the annual costs of operating Amtrak trains. Now, for the first time, a portion of gas tax revenues will be placed into a dedicated fund for transit upgrades. This creates a steady, reliable funding stream that can be used for Metra upgrades needed to lay the foundation for high-speed service around the Midwest.

After years of being on hold, the legislature has appropriated $500 million to begin two new Amtrak services from Chicago to the Quad Cities and to Rockford (and eventually Dubuque). The Quad Cities are so ready for trains that they have spent years preparing, including building a station. The State of Illinois is now committed to holding up its end of the deal.

Illinois has also committed $100 million for track upgrades to the CN-owned railroad that hosts trains between Chicago and Carbondale. This should address slow speeds and frequent delays on this line, which serves the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

There’s $400 million going towards CREATE rail projects, including the massive 75th Street project on Chicago’s south side, which will unclog a number of lines used by Amtrak and Metra trains.

The package also includes $50 million in new, dedicated funding for biking and walking projects, which will make it easier and safer to get to and from your train--or anywhere--without a car.

https://midwesthsr.salsalabs.org/wedidit

[frazzled]

2. I agree with you

At first, my thought was that this extra fee for electrical vehicles was at odds with the need to move to more carbon-reducing transportation options. But you're right: the gas tax pays for all kinds of necessary and positive infrastructure issues, and EV owners need to pay their fair share. Perhaps, in the near future, some of this revenue will also go to building more charging stations.

All that and ... let's remember that electric cars (and plug-in hybrids) have already gotten rather substantive tax credits. Plus, if you can afford a Tesla, an extra hundred bucks is not going to break you. Maybe not so much for a Leaf.