In addition to the $150 fee, the state may boost registration fees for plug-in vehicles by $15. In all, the higher fees, which are being proposed by House Republicans, would add as much as $2 million a year in revenue to be used to improve roads. Additionally, Indiana may increase its gasoline tax by 10 cents a gallon. That would increase gas taxes for typical Indiana drivers by about $50 a year. Still, the plug-in vehicle fees reflect the issue many states are facing in regards to governments not being able to collect gas taxes from the growing inventory of plug-in vehicles.
Michigan was the most recent state to add fees specifically for plug-in vehicles in an effort to boost road-repair revenue. If Indiana approves the plug-in fees, it would join nine other states, including Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Washington State is a curious case because the state has long been known to be green-minded, but was also one of the earlier states to add fees specifically for electric vehicles when it passed a $100 annual EV fee in early 2012.
Indiana, or at least its largest city, made its own impact in green-vehicle driving when Indianapolis became the first US city to add the BlueCar electric-vehicle sharing service in 2015. BlueIndy launched with 50 BolloreBlueCar EVs, with plans to broaden that inventory to 500.
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