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Georgia lawmakers debate electric vehicle charging tax
Members of the State House voted Monday on a tax for electric vehicle owners to charge their cars at public stations, since they don't have to pay gas tax. FOX 5 spoke to lawmakers on both sides of the debate.
ATLANTA - Georgia lawmakers gave final approval Monday to a bill to charge taxes on electricity for charging electric vehicles.
Currently, the state uses taxes levied on gasoline to pay for transportation infrastructure, but drivers of electric vehicles do not pay gas taxes.
"The excise tax is how we maintain roads and bridges," explained state Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, who serves as chairman of the House Transportation Committee. "Everybody needs to pay their fair share."
"This is a double tax on in-state EV drivers," said Jennette Gayer, the director of Environment Georgia.
Gayer pointed out that Georgians already pay higher fees to register their electric vehicles than gas-powered cars. According to the Georgia Department of Revenue, a license plate for a traditional vehicle is $20 each year. The licensing fee for a non-commercial alternative fuel vehicle is $212.78.
That fee, however, remains the same no matter how much someone uses the state's roadways.
Under the legislation, public charging stations would have to track their kilowatt-hour usage and would be required to collect a tax per every 11 kWh.
Rep. Jasperse said the new taxes would not affect Georgians who charge their vehicles at home.
"They won't be using this much," said Rep. Jasperse. "This is for the person that's out driving around, stops at a restaurant, wants to plug in while they eat. That's when we're going to get them or somebody traveling through the State of Georgia with an EV from wherever through our state, we'll get them then."
The legislation also updates state law to legalize the resale of electricity and gives the Georgia Department of Agriculture the responsibility to inspect charging stations for safety and accuracy.
If the governor signs the bill into law, the new charging tax would begin in January 2025.