The County Road Association of Michigan is calling on the state Legislature to look at how the emergence of electric vehicles will affect road funding and how any losses EVs cause can be recouped. Director Denise Donahue says with much of the state’s road funding coming from gas taxes, more electric vehicles will mean less revenue despite the same number of miles being driven on the roads.
“We’re calling for a pilot project, not another study, but a pilot project that would actually begin to adjust the amount that is collected from electric vehicle drivers commensurate with the miles they are driving,” Donahue told Michigan News Network.
The Coalition on Electric Vehicles and Transportation Revenue, which includes the County Road Association, held an event in Lansing on Tuesday. Donahue says the shortfall in road funding caused by electric vehicles is estimated to reach $90 million per year by 2030. The coalition is recommending the state consider increasing the registration fee for electric vehicles, create a user fee based on the number of miles driven by electric vehicles, or implement a tax on the electricity used by electric vehicles.
