Louisiana bill imposes road maintenance fee on EV and hybrid owners

BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana owners of electric or hybrid vehicles would be charged an annual state road usage fee under legislation that has cleared the House Transportation Committee.

The Advertiser reports that the bill’s supporters argued that the bill is needed because revenue to pay for upkeep and improvement of existing roads and bridges comes from the state’s 20-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax.

Baton Rouge Republican Rep. Barbara Freiberg’s bill would charge EV owners $110 annually. Hybrid owners would pay $60 annually.

The measure now heads to the full House. It requires a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate because it imposes a new fee.

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