Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ev Fee topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
EV owner urges subcommittee not to 'triple' user fee, says increase would burden low‑income drivers
Summary
An EV owner told the subcommittee the proposed increase in the state EV fee from about $120 to $400 (collected every two years) would be a heavy burden on limited‑income owners and urged lawmakers to consider rising utility costs and equity.
Elaine Cooper, a longtime Columbia resident and an electric‑vehicle owner, told the Senate subcommittee she was alarmed by a proposed increase in the state's EV user fee that would raise the charge from about $120 to roughly $400 collected biennially.
"It's now to increase to $400. That is a huge economic burden on us, EV people," Cooper said, noting she drives a 2017 Chevy Bolt and does not own a high‑end vehicle. She said many EV owners are seniors, people on fixed incomes or family members who could not attend the hearing, and urged lawmakers to consider rising utility bills that make charging at home more expensive.
Cooper said she supports contributing to road maintenance but asked senators not to "triple the rate" and suggested a smaller increase would be more reasonable. Committee members clarified the rationale: the gas tax, which historically funds road maintenance, is not collected from EV drivers, and proposals aim to align EV payments with average gas tax contributions over a comparable period.
No policy decision or vote on the EV fee was recorded during the hearing; senators asked staff and DOT to provide comparative state data on EV fee levels in neighboring states.
