SB 1728: Texas Tesla Drivers should pay their fair share to use the roads in Texas
Let your State of Texas Representative know!
Below is a template you can use, to contact your state representative, this is regarding a potential annual fee that you will have to pay, when you register your Tesla in Texas.
Dear State Representative,
I’m a Tesla vehicle owner here in Texas, the home of the largest electric car factory in the world!
I’m writing to you about SB 1728. I’m happy to “pay my fair share” towards the beautiful roads I use in Texas.
In 2019, the Legislature asked the DMV to study what an average Texan pays at the pump in state gas tax. The DMV followed through, and found Texans pay an estimated $100 / year.
But, SB 1728 currently asks Texas Tesla and other EV drivers to pay $200 / year!
Please kindly move to adjust what Texas Tesla and other EV drivers pay to $100.
Thank you,
Texas Tesla Owner
You may copy and paste the above message, with your own personal modifications, and send it to your representative, if you’re not sure who to send it to, you can find out through this link below:
https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home
They could divert some of the taxes I pay for electricity OR they could actually raise the gas tax to represent the last 30 years of increased fuel economy OR even make it match the average gas tax paid of under $100. It needs to also be pointed out that so few electric cars are on the roads that any high tax would not be significant.
Yeah, until we are legally allowed to buy Tesla's in Texas, we shouldn't have to pay additional taxes.
Dear State Representative, I’m a Tesla vehicle owner here in Texas, the home of the largest electric car factory in the world! I’m writing to you about SB 1728. I’m happy to “pay my fair share” towards the beautiful roads I use in Texas. In 2019, the Legislature asked the DMV to study what an average Texan pays at the pump in state gas tax. The DMV followed through, and found Texans pay an estimated $100 / year. But, SB 1728 currently asks Texas Tesla and other EV drivers to pay $200 / year! Please kindly move to adjust what Texas Tesla and other EV drivers pay to $100. Thank you, Keyan Godarzi
Certainly EV owners should pay their fair share of road and bridge maintenance fees. But it's grossly unfair to charge a flat rate - regardless of miles driven. In my opinion, Texas should repeal the existing gasoline/diesel taxes and instead charge a tax rate for all vehicles based only on actual miles driven and axle weight. You could allow vehicle owners to self-report miles driven as they pay their state taxes - then verify the actual odometer reading (and adjust payment accordingly) when the car is brought in for state inspection. This would provide a level playing field for all vehicles, regardless of how they are propelled and avoid the need for more law changes for hydrogen or other propulsion systems. This approach would be fair to everyone.
That sounds fair on the surface, but if you think about the cost savings the state will experience from less healthcare costs due to no emissions and fewer accidents/less injuries due to the safety of Teslas, then Tesla owners are already “paying our fair share”.
I PURCHASED MY FIRST TESLA BACK IN 2015 BECAUSE I WAS SPENDING OVER $10,000 ANNUALLY IN FUEL COSTS DRIVING TO/FROM MY PLACE OF WORK. I LEARNED THERE WAS A "SUPERCHARGER" IN THE TOWN OF MY OFFICE, THUS PURCHASING A TESLA WAS A NO BRAINIER! THEREFORE I EXPECT TO PAY MY FAIR SHARE, BUT NOT DOLLAR MORE THAN WHAT IS APPROPRIATE.
Fair share means fair share! Please don't introduce discrimination in the laws. In fact Texas should be encouraging emission free vehicles on the state roads.
Other points of view taken from discussions about this topic in various forums. In regards to the benefits to the roads by driving EVs: - The costs of mitigating the effects of global warming are enormously more expensive even in the near future. - Prevention of damage to the roads by dripping oil, gasoline, coolant. - Prevention of damage to everything that lives alongside the roadways, or drinks the water that runs off the roadways into streams and rivers.
Smart. Another discrepancy in road share is the damage vs investments that semi operators contribute to our roads in America.