By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - U.S. House lawmakers proposed bipartisan legislation that would require electric vehicles to pay a $130 fee to pay for road repairs annually and $35 for some plug-in hybrid models.
The House is working on a five-year highway reauthorization bill that would authorize $580 billion ahead of the current law expiration on September 30. Most revenue for federally funded road repairs is collected through diesel and gasoline taxes, which EVs do not pay.
The
law would require the fees to be hiked by $5 per year starting in 2029 up to a total of $150 for EVs and $50 for plug-in vehicles.
The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to take up the bill on Thursday introduced by the panel's Republican chair, Sam Graves, and the top Democrat, Rick Larsen.
Some states charge fees for EVs to cover road repair costs. Congress for the past three decades has opted not to hike fuel taxes to pay for rising road repair costs. Some Republican senators in February 2025 proposed a $1,000 tax on EVs for road repair costs.
The Sierra Club, an environmental group, criticized the bill, saying it would cut funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and "includes an irresponsible tax for EV and plug-in hybrid drivers."
The bill would also direct the U.S. Transportation Department within two years to issue regulations to establish performance-based safety standards for autonomous buses, trucks and other commercial vehicles. It would not apply to passenger cars and would pre-empt state laws.
The bill would require autonomous school buses carrying young students to have a human operator.
Last year, the Electrification Coalition, an EV advocacy group, argued a $250 fee for EVs was unfair since an average gas-powered vehicle pays just $88 yearly in federal gas taxes.
Since 2008, more than $275 billion - including $118 billion from the 2021 infrastructure law - has been shifted from the general fund to pay for road repairs.
Given the November congressional election, some lawmakers say it will be challenging to reach a deal by September 30 on funding.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
