FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 1, 2021

“We are extremely disappointed by the passage of the transportation budget bill that will keep Ohio’s electric, plug-in hybrid, and non-plug-in hybrid vehicle fees among the highest in the country. Ohio lawmakers had a chance to preserve Ohio’s auto industry for future generations and opted to continue the current and excessive tax burden on electric vehicles, well beyond what owners would pay with a gas tax.

Unfortunately, our state legislators took a step away from a strong economic future for Ohio. The EV fees represent less than one percent of the Ohio road fund revenue and they chose that instead of making a statement to automakers who are investing more than $300 billion in EVs over the next decade. By keeping the high fees, Ohio is signaling the state’s unfriendliness to trends in the auto sector. Ohio currently employs 16,646 people in the EV sector.

Clean Fuels Ohio, many of our members, and EV owners want to pay their fair share of taxes to support Ohio’s transportation infrastructure. We proposed changing the fee to $100 for all-electric vehicles, $50 for plug-in hybrids, and $0 for gasoline-only hybrids. Instead, the legislature kept it at $200 for all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids and $100 for gasoline-only hybrids. These fees are especially damaging to low-to-moderate-income consumers and their ability to choose used EVs.

The continued high fees will harm Ohio consumers while discouraging a promising market and signaling that Ohio is unfriendly to the growing electric vehicle manufacturing sector. For all of these reasons, we urge them to reconsider scaling back the fee to a reasonable level in future legislation.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Malerie Holte, Events & Communication Coordinator, Clean Fuels Ohio, 614-884-7336 ext. 312 or [email protected]

Sam Spofforth, Chief Executive Officer, Clean Fuels Ohio, 614-477-0053 or [email protected]

Brendan Kelley, Director, Drive Electric Ohio, Clean Fuels Ohio, 614-884-7336 or [email protected].

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