House proposal would charge EV owners $130 yearly for road repairs

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FILE-An electric vehicle charges at a charging station in Torrance, California, on February 23, 2024. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

House lawmakers presented bipartisan legislation that would require owners of electric vehicles to pay a $130 fee for road repairs annually and $35 for certain plug-in hybrid model cars. 

Reuters reported that this proposed law would also require the costs to be increased by $5 a year beginning in 2029, up to a total of $150 for electric vehicles and $50 for plug-in vehicles. 

The bill also calls for Department of Transportation officials to implement regulations to start performance-based safety ​standards for autonomous buses, ​trucks, and other ⁠commercial vehicles. 

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However, this would not apply to passenger vehicles and may require autonomous school buses transporting ​young students to have a human driver.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the fees are part of funding legislation for highway infrastructure known as the BUILD America 250 Act.

This proposed legislation would also raise spending on roads, bridges, and railways, while establishing rules for autonomous commercial trucks.

Do states charge fees for electric vehicles for road repairs?

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According to Reuters, some states do charge fees for electric vehicles to cover the costs associated with road repairs. 

For 30 years, Congress chose not to raise fuel taxes to pay for rising road repair costs. In February 2025, several Republican senators proposed a $1,000 tax on electric vehicles for road repair costs. 

Reuters reported that in 2025 that the Electrification Coalition, ​an electric vehicle advocacy group, argued that a $250 fee for electric vehicles was unfair given that the average gas-powered vehicle pays $88 annually in federal gas taxes.