New bill going into effect Sept. 1 will tax owners of electric vehicles as State seeks to recoup lost tax gas revenue

(KWTX) -Bill 505 that was created during the 88th legislative session will be in effect September 1st.

The bill is aimed at vehicles that are solely electricity and weigh less than ten thousand pounds.

Taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel are currently used by the state to pay for infrastructure and transportation funds.

According to bell county’s reports there are around 159,000 electric-powered vehicles in the state of Texas, all of which do not currently contribute to the transportation fund.

These new taxes are intended to generate additional money from electric vehicles that do not require fuel.

This new bill, however, does not include electric scooters, mopeds or trucks

Bell county Public Information’s Officer, James Stafford, explains that the new bill is an “opportunity to get the same contributions from drivers” and that it is not meant to “disincentivize moving towards electric vehicles”.

Drivers who own and drive electric vehicles must renew their registration with a $200 annual fee.

New electric vehicles that need to be registered require a $400 one-time fee, in addition to the annual fee.

To start your renewal online, head over to Texas Department of Motor Vehicles or the Texas by Texas (TxT) mobile app or website.

For renewal in person, refer to your local vehicle registration office.