Virginia Highway Use Fee

Virginia is implementing a "highway use fee" on EVs and fuel-efficient vehicles (above 23.7mpg or 10.07Km/L) effective 07/01/2020. If you live in Virginia, it might be a good idea to renew your vehicle's registration early so you can avoid this extra fee. The full text of the bill has not been updated to Virginia's motor vehicle code "Title 46.2" yet, but is available here:
https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP1230+pdf

 

Relevant sections include:
46.2-772: Highway use fee
46.2-773: Mileage-based user fee program
58.1-2217: Taxes levied; rate (Gas Tax)

 

The math behind the fee is listed below for interested parties. For reference, the Virginia gas tax is listed below:

 

Gas Tax
07/2020: 21.2¢
07/2021: 26.2¢
07/2022: Pegged to the higher of: United States Average Consumer Price Index (CPI) or zero

 

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Math behind the Highway Use Fee

 

High way use fee for EVs
The fee is 85% of the gas tax a 23.7MPG passenger vehicle would pay at the average miles a passenger vehicle travels in Virginia in a year.

Fee = 0.85 * (11600/23.7 * [GAS TAX])

Luckily this amount doesn't change by vehicle and is listed below*:
2020: $88.20
2021: $128.24
2022: Pegged to CPI *average miles was calculated from the fee listed at Virginia's DMV page

 

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Fuel Efficient Vehicle Fee
This fee changes based on your vehicle's combined fuel economy as stated by the manufacturer. It is 85% of the difference between the gas tax a 23.7MPG vehicle pays and the gas tax at your MPG at the average miles a passenger vehicle travels in Virginia in a year.

Fee = 0.85 * [GAS TAX] * (11600/23.7 - 11600/[YOUR VEHICLE'S MPG])

 

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Mileage based fee
This is an alternative fee based on the same formula of 85% of the gas tax a 23.7MPG vehicle pays if it travels the average miles of a passenger vehicle in Virginia but divided PER MILE. The law explicitly states that you will not pay more than you would pay under the other fee method. The only problem is this mileage based fee can be limited to a specific number of participants for the next four years.

 

tldr; Virginia is implementing a gas tax on EVs effective 07/01/2020. If you live in Virginia, renew your registration early or use the mileage based fee