One thing to keep in mind is that out of the 22 million registered vehicles on Texas roads, only a measly 200,000 of them are EVs. 30,000 of those were added in just the last year, but it’s going to be a few years before they truly compare to their ICE counterparts. To that point, the state believes this tax will produce an extra $38 million toward the fund yearly; a significant sum until you realize ICE vehicles produce $3.8 billion yearly towards the fund.
Even though the numbers are small, this may be one of the rare circumstances where the government has gotten out in front of something before it becomes an issue. In five years, when EVs on Texan roads have doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled, people will be glad EVs are paying their fair share. But is the share fair? As we’ve pondered before, is $200 too much? Or is it even too little?