House Transportation Bill Would Stick Americans With New Fees, Higher Costs

WASHINGTON – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released legislation that would set priorities and funding for federally funded transportation over the next five years. The legislation would place a new $130 annual fee on electric vehicles, eliminate key programs to cut emissions and trim overall transportation spending, including on EV chargers.  

NRDC and other groups have told lawmakers to reject a new EV fee.  

Following is a comment from Shruti Vaidyanathan, director of federal and state transportation advocacy at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council): 

“This legislation is a punch in the gut to the millions of Americans struggling to pay higher prices at the pump.  

“With Americans demanding more affordable transportation options as gasoline tops $4.50 a gallon this bill would impose an onerous new fee on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, while slashing investments in new EV chargers.  

“Congress should be boosting investments in projects that cut costs, cut emissions, create jobs, and build a transportation system that works for all Americans. This bill largely ignores the need to build cleaner, more affordable transportation options.   

“There’s a better road forward. The Transportation committee should get to work on legislation that would really deliver for Americans.”  

Background 

The Build America 250 bill proposal from the House Transportation & Infrastructure committee would: 

• Impose a new registration fee of $130 for electric vehicles and $35 for plug-in hybrids to be collected by states which will increase by $5 biannually starting in FY2029.
• Eliminate funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grants, instead setting aside just $1 billion in the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program over five years for EV charging.
• Repeal all funding for Carbon Reduction Program and PROTECT formula program - two programs that provide funding for transportation projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and improve climate resilience.
• Maintain the status quo for transit funding levels at a time when Americans are struggling to afford their gasoline bills and need access to reliable public transportation.  

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).