Why Texans with electric vehicles now have to pay the state an extra $200

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- If you own an electric vehicle in Texas, you're going to have to spend an additional $200 per year to register the car, thanks to a new Texas Senate bill.

Senate Bill 505, co-authored by State Senator César Blanco, who represents parts of El Paso County, will impose a $200 registration fee for electric vehicles starting on September 1st.

Anyone buying a new electric vehicle will have to pay two years' registration up-front, or $400 according to the Texas Tribune.

The aim of the fee is to make up for lost gasoline taxes, which are used to repair Texas roads. The money from the additional electrical vehicle fees is expected to go towards roads.

A 2020 report obtained by the Texas Tribune says the state lost an average of $200 per year per electric vehicle in state and federal gasoline taxes.