South Carolina owners of hybrid and electric vehicles will soon start paying a new fee, as property tax notices begin going out in January reflecting the new charges, according to the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.
Hybrid vehicle owners will pay $60 every other year, and electric car owners will pay $120 every other year.
The new fee was part of legislation passed this year to raise revenues for road improvements in the state. The measure included a gas tax increase. Legislators considered the fees on hybrid and electric vehicles as compensation for the vehicles’ owners paying less or none of the gas tax, which is used to pay for roadwork.
South Carolina joins at least 16 other states that also charge fees for electric vehicles, as gas tax revenues continue to dwindle and states search for alternative revenues to deal with crumbling infrastructure.