Liberal Forum

Huey » 26 Jul 2026, 2:26 pm » wrote: ↑

26 Jul 2026, 2:26 pm

In the state of VA for EVs and Hybrids they have a highway use tax for EVs and Hybrids when you renew your registration.  It is about 65 bucks.  It cost me 115 bucks to register my car this year.

**** you dems.

Virginia first imposed a flat surcharge for registering electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles on July 1, 2013. This initial policy was heavily modified over the years, culminating in the current structure: [1, 2, 3] 1. The Original Surcharge (2013)

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• Date Imposed: July 1, 2013.
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• The Cost: Drivers faced a flat $64 annual registration surcharge for both electric vehicles and traditional hybrids.
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• The Backlash: The hybrid fee was highly controversial since those drivers were already paying standard fuel taxes at the pump. Due to public pushback, the Virginia General Assembly repealed the hybrid portion of the fee just one year later, in 2014. [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]

2. The Overhaul: Highway Use Fee (2020)

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• Date Imposed: July 1, 2020. [7]
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• The Change: Virginia replaced the older surcharge system with a broader Highway Use Fee (HUF). Instead of targeting just EVs and hybrids, it applies to any vehicle with a manufacturer’s combined fuel economy rating of 25 MPG or higher. [3, 8, 9, 10, 11]
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• The Current Cost: EVs pay a flat fee (set at $131.88), while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and standard fuel-efficient hybrids pay a scaled amount based strictly on their specific MPG rating. [11, 12]
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3. Alternative: Mileage Choice Program (2022)

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• Date Imposed: July 1, 2022.
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• The Choice: To give low-mileage drivers a break from the flat surcharge, the state introduced Virginia's Mileage Choice Program. EV and hybrid owners can opt out of the flat fee at registration and instead pay a per-mile fee tracked via an OBD-II device, capped at whatever their flat annual fee would have been. [11, 13, 14]

[1] https://vacleancities.org
[2] https://wcyb.com
[3] https://klrd.gov
[4] https://klrd.gov
[5] https://loudounpossible.com
[6] https://www.eenews.net
[7] https://www.reddit.com
[8] https://www.wvtf.org
[9] https://www.dmv.virginia.gov
[10] https://www.ncsl.org
[11] https://comparemechanic.com
[12] https://www.dmv.virginia.gov
[13] https://taxfoundation.org
[14] https://www.dmv.virginia.gov