Headline Roundup • May 19th, 2026
Bipartisan House Transportation Bill Includes $130 Annual Fee for EV Owners
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A provision in a $580 billion bipartisan highway bill proposed by the House would require a $130 annual registration fee for electric vehicles (EVs) and a $35 fee for plug-in hybrids.
The Details: The Five-Year Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill was unveiled Sunday by Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rick Larsen (D-WA) and aims to invest in roads, bridges, railways, and other transportation infrastructure. Starting in 2029, the fees would increase by $5 every other year but would not exceed $150 for EVs and $50 for hybrids. If it passes the House, the bill would need to be approved by the Senate. Graves said the bill also includes "a billion dollars to expand our nation's network of EV charging stations" and "historic levels of support for public transit."
For Context: The federal Highway Trust Fund receives funding from gas taxes and pays for highway projects, but EV users don't fuel their cars with gasoline. Previously, in 2023, the Biden administration offered tax credits in an effort to boost EV sales in the US, though in 2025 lawmakers eliminated them. In 2024, also under Biden, the Department of Energy gave Rivian a $6.6B loan. In December, Ford took a $19.5 billion financial charge from scaling back its EV plans and writing down the value of related investments.
Key Quotes: Graves said the measure "ensures that electric vehicle owners begin paying their fair share for the use of our roads." Larsen said, "The 'user pays' principle has been fundamental to how we fund our nation's surface transportation system for as long as I've been in Congress. I support that principle and worked to make sure that this new fee on EVs is fair and not punitive."
How The Media Covered It: The story was significantly covered by mainstream outlets from the left and center, but from the right, AllSides only found coverage from The Washington Examiner (Lean Right). The Examiner framed the fee provision as "tucked into" the bill and noted that several states have higher EV fees individually. The Hill (Center) said it is unclear whether the Senate would pass the bill and said Senate Democrats in particular "may not want the provision to be included." The New York Times (Lean Left) prominently noted that the Biden-era tax credits were eliminated by Congress and attributed slumping EV sales to this.
Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times
Congress may require owners of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars to pay an annual fee to cover their share of the cost to repair roads, which could further depress sales of those models.
Last year, Congress eliminated subsidies worth up to $7,500 for electric vehicle purchases and leases, causing sales to slump. A bipartisan bill introduced this week would go further, imposing a fee of $130 for electric vehicles and $35 for plug-in hybrids, which can travel short distances on battery power but also have combustion engines.
The House version of a bipartisan highway bill proposes to add a $130 registration fee for electric vehicles (EVs) and a $35 fee for plug-in hybrids.
The provision is part of the Five-Year Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill, a bipartisan bill that seeks to make investments in the country's roads, bridges, rail and other infrastructure.
Congress could soon impose a $130 annual fee on owners of electric vehicles to help pay for repairs to the nation's roads.
The provision was tucked into a $580 billion bipartisan highway funding bill that Congress is aiming to pass before the end of September. If the bill becomes law as written, the Federal Highway Administration would be required to impose a $130 annual "registration fee" on electric vehicles collected by each state. It also imposes an annual "registration fee" of $35 for plug-in hybrid vehicles.
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