Washington—The American Trucking Associations expressed strong support for a provision included in the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s budget reconciliation measure that would levy an annual $250 fee on electric vehicles and a $100 annual fee on hybrids. The legislation cleared the Committee last night and now heads to the House floor for a vote by the full chamber.
ATA has long advocated for an equitable and stable revenue source to permanently address the insolvency crisis facing the Highway Trust Fund. Currently, light-duty electric vehicles do not pay into the HTF. In January, ATA Chairman Dennis Dellinger, the president and CEO of Cargo Transporters, testified before the House T&I Committee in support of user fees to fund road maintenance.
“ATA is grateful to members of the House T&I Committee for listening to our feedback and advancing this proposal to ensure that all motorists who benefit from the use of America’s roadways contribute to their upkeep and improvement,” said ATA Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs Henry Hanscom. “The federal Highway Trust Fund is on the verge of collapse due almost entirely to the growth in electric and hybrid passenger vehicles. No one should get a free ride. The Committee is to be commended for taking a significant step toward meeting the goal for all vehicles to pay their fair share. The trucking industry looks forward to working with Congress to implement this commonsense solution.”
The HTF constitutes over 90% of federal funds used for transportation projects and primarily receives its funding through the federal gas tax: 18.3 cents per gallon of gas and 24.3 cents per gallon of diesel.
The trucking industry is the leading payer into the HTF, contributing almost half of all revenues while representing just 4% of road users. Heavy-duty electric trucks also contribute to the HTF through the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, the tire tax, and the federal excise tax. To rectify this imbalance, ATA endorsed the Fair Share Act earlier this year to impose a one-time fee on light-duty electric vehicles.
By 2028, the HTF is expected to be depleted. Since 2008, over $275 billion has been shifted from the general fund to sustain the HTF.
May 01, 2025