NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Since Governor Bill Lee (R-Tennessee) gained re-election, he’s talked about his plan to expand infrastructure and employment a number of occasions.
Friday introduced a chunk of that plan to mild with an announcement of one other electrical battery-making plant in our state.
It comes on the heels of a plan from the Dept. of Transportation to expand infrastructure. A part of that plan is to probably enhance the yearly registration charge on electrical automobiles.
“What meaning is all people paying the identical factor,” TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley stated. “So, electrical automobile homeowners contributing the identical quantity that fuel combustion homeowners would pay.”
At present, electrical automobile homeowners pay practically 3 times lower than fuel homeowners. The fuel tax equates to roughly $300 a yr whereas the yearly charge for electrical automobiles is $100. If the TDOT plan passes the Normal Meeting, then they’d pay the identical quantity of round $300.
In order that begs the query—is that much less of an incentive to get an electrical automobile?
“I don’t assume it’s,” Eley stated. “I feel we all know the info that demonstrates its normal parity to have the ability to do this now.”
In fact, the controversy depends upon who you ask.
“The entire level of getting an electrical automobile is that it’s higher for the surroundings, and I feel you wish to hold the inducement there so folks hold shopping for these electrical automobiles and you’ve got a cleaner surroundings,” driver Rory McNabb stated. “So, by upping the charge, I feel you’re de-incentivizing them.”
“I don’t assume it’ll lower the need for an electrical automobile as a result of the rise is just not that important,” driver Don Chaplin stated. “However it sounds prefer it’s type of a concentrate on discouraging folks to buy electrical if it’s going to value extra to purchase one.”
The potential charge isn’t set in stone—it might change over the subsequent month ought to TDOT change its plans.
“We wish to be sure that there’s a good charge for everybody,” Lee stated. “We’ll determine what that quantity is and transfer ahead.”
The following step is for legislators to bundle the plan right into a invoice after which current it to the Normal Meeting for passage as soon as session begins in January.
