There’s no getting around the fact that the current crop of electric vehicles are heavier than their gasoline-powered counterparts—or the fact that EVs don’t pay the federal gas tax that helps pay for road repairs. And politicians are starting to catch on, as chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Representative Sam Graves (R-MO), said on Wednesday that he’d proposed a new fee for EV owners.
The Missouri Republican announced his plan at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure Event, stating he would take up a multi-year bill that would impose a new annual fee on EVs and hybrids. House Republicans attempted to pass a version of these annual fees in last year’s tax and spending bill—$250 for EVs and $100 for hybrid EVs—but they were ultimately not included. Representative Graves said his version of the bill would drum up to $550 billion in funding for highways and bridges, according to Reuters.
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“We would like to get money from EVs,” Graves said at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce event, Reuters reports.
This isn’t the first time Republican lawmakers have aimed at EVs. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) proposed charging EV owners an annual $1000 fee last February. The senators cited a disproportionate effect on roadway wear-and-tear as the principal reason behind this annual federal fee, in addition to recouping 10 years’ worth of federal gas tax revenue. Indeed, electric vehicles do not currently contribute to federal road repair funds, as most road repair revenue is generated through diesel and gasoline taxes.
“EVs can weigh up to three times as much as gas-powered cars, creating more wear and tear on our roads and bridges,” Senator Fischer said in February 2025.
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The impetus to introduce such legislation comes as the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act expires on September 30. Republican lawmakers will have the chance to introduce amendments to existing infrastructure and transportation regulations, including rules around EVs and automotive safety standards.
Advocacy groups like Electrification Coalition pushed back on the previously proposed $250 fee for EVs, citing the annual average gas tax revenue of $88 from an internal combustion vehicle. Reporting from Reuters says that more than $275 billion—including $118 billion from the 2021 infrastructure law—has been allocated away from the general fund to fund road repairs since 2008. Similarly, many states recoup lost gas tax revenue through increased EV registration fees, including states with high EV adoption rates like California and Oregon.
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A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022 and Road & Track in 2024. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a BMW 318i E30 street parked in his Queens community.
