I sent this email to my house rep. Other EV owners are free to copy and paste this and change wording as needed. Let’s get this regressive BS changed.
I recently purchased an EV and was required to pay an ‘Alternative Fuel Vehicle Fee’ upon renewing my vehicle registration. In this pivotal moment where domestically-manufactured EVs and batteries represent a huge opportunity for Georgia in terms of jobs and economic impact, it is extremely counterproductive to impose an additional fee on EV owners. As Kia, Hyundai, and Rivian bring vital jobs and opportunity to the state through EV manufacturing, Georgia is sending the wrong message to EV owners that they are not welcome or appreciated for their personal financial investment in this budding technology. I understand that the purpose of this fee is to fund road repairs due to the weight of EVs and the fact that EV owners do not pay a tax on gasoline. However, we pay taxes on electricity when we charge at our homes as well as when we utilize public chargers. If the weight of EVs is the primary concern, perhaps all vehicles regardless of fuel type should pay an annual fee if they gross over a certain weight. It is doubly regressive to impose the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Fee on EV owners when the Georgia gas tax has been repealed for the majority of 2023.
Road maintenance is typically paid for with taxes levied on gasoline. This will need to change eventually. Personally I think it should wait in order to speed the transition.