OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Drivers of electric cars may have left the gas pump behind, but there's one expense they may not be able to shake: paying to maintain the roads.
After years of urging residents to buy fuel-efficient cars and giving them tax breaks to do it, Washington state lawmakers are considering a measure to charge them a $100 annual fee - what would be the nation's first electric car fee.
State lawmakers grappling with a $5 billion deficit are facing declining gas tax revenue, which means less money to maintain or improve roads.
"Electric vehicles put just as much wear and tear on our roads as gas vehicles," said Democratic state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, the bill's lead sponsor. "This simply ensures that they contribute their fair share to the upkeep of our roads."
Other states are trying to find solutions to the same problem, as cars become more fuel-efficient and, now, don't use any gas at all.
Read more:
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/04/22/3572687/wash-considers-annual-flat-fee.html#ixzz1KNTbr4Jm
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