Vendor pitches mileage‑based EV fee to Georgia committee as an equitable alternative to flat EV registration charge

A private vendor on Tuesday presented a proposal to the House Transportation Committee for a mileage‑based alternative to Georgia’s flat alternative‑fuel vehicle (AFV) fee. Geotoll representatives urged the committee to consider a pilot that would bill EV drivers by odometer miles rather than a single annual flat charge, arguing the approach is more equitable as vehicle fuel efficiency increases.

Tom Gustafson, Geotoll’s chief strategy officer and a former state DOT official, told the committee that gas taxes—historically tied to gallons sold—are eroding as cars grow more fuel‑efficient and electrified. Geotoll proposed starting with EVs (which now pay a flat AFV fee in Georgia) and testing flexible per‑mile billing options so the state can validate technology, user experience and program design before any wider rollout.

Chief executive Ankur Agarwal described two low‑intrusion reporting options for capturing miles without tracking location: telematics integration (manufacturer odometer reads, with consumer consent) and a mobile app that submits a live odometer photo for the reporting period. He emphasized the proposals collect odometer readings only and do not transmit GPS coordinates, saying, "All we are getting is once in a month or once in a quarter… how many miles the user drove. No data about where you drove."

Geotoll and committee members discussed program design choices: monthly or quarterly billing vs. an annual flat payment, revenue neutrality (set a per‑mile rate to roughly equal current AFV revenue on average), caps or program credits to address out‑of‑state travel, and enforcement mechanisms such as registration holds for unpaid balances. Geotoll suggested pilot policy features such as optional enrollment for EV drivers, billing frequency choices and consumer protections to preserve privacy and limit administrative cost.

Committee members asked about treatment of commercial and out‑of‑state vehicles; Geotoll acknowledged those are important policy design issues and recommended beginning with EVs to limit complexity and demonstrate feasibility while coordinating with neighboring states for cross‑border reconciliation over time.

What’s next: Geotoll offered to work with GDOT and committee staff on modeling and a pilot design. The chairman thanked the presenters and requested follow‑up discussions to refine a pilot that could be revenue neutral and protect drivers’ privacy.