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Georgia implements EV charging tax, Delaware passes home charging bill

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The recent passage of a Georgia law will earn tax money off of electric vehicles (EVs) in preparation for a predicted jump in sales, while another in Delaware focuses on installing home charging infrastructure.

Georgia Senate Bill 146, effective July 1, mandates an excise tax on EVs at charging stations of 26 cents per 11 kilowatt-hours (kWh). Eleven kWh is the amount legislators determined is the equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. In addition, hydrogen gas will be charged the same tax rate per 2.2 pounds.

The excise tax is in addition to Georgian EV owners being charged a $210.87 licensing fee. There is also an optional alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) license plate one-time manufacturing fee of $25 plus an annual $20 registration fee and a $35 special tag fee. The licensing fee only applies to plug-in hybrid EVs and flexible fuel vehicles if they have AFV license plates.

The new tax law also requires private entities that offer public chargers to meter the total kWhs dispensed, which is enforced by charging station inspectors. If more electricity is dispensed at a time than the tolerance level established by the revenue commissioner’s regulations, the station will be shut down.

During hearings, supporters of the bill said both fees are necessary because the excise duty is only levied at public charging stations, meaning EV owners that mostly charge at home wouldn’t pay proportionally to their road use, according to a WABE news report.

According to the Associated Press, Georgia has been a top beneficiary of a nationwide electric vehicle investment boom, with more than 40 electric vehicle-related projects since 2020 pledging $22.7 billion of investment and 28,400 jobs in the state.

Gov. Brian Kemp said last week that he wants to make Georgia the “e-mobility capital of the nation” as his second-term legacy, the AP reports.

In Delaware last week, the House passed a bill that would require newly constructed single-family and multi-family residential dwellings to include infrastructure for charging electric vehicles.

Senate Bill 103 would position the state for 2040, when researchers predict EV sales will outnumber those of traditional, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, according to a House news release. The Senate passed the bill in May.

If signed by Gov. John Carney, the bill would also:

    • “Provide county and municipal government enforcement of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure requirements;
    • “Apply to the construction of a multi-family residential dwelling for which an application for final site plan approval is submitted on or after Jan. 1, 2025; and
    • “Clarify that if the single-family residential dwelling does not have an attached or detached garage, an electric vehicle capable parking space must be provided in the driveway, assigned parking space for the dwelling, or at an unassigned non-street residential parking space constructed as part of the project.”

“Major vehicle manufacturers are pledging to go all-electric and we need to take the step to ensure that we’ve got the appropriate electrical charging infrastructure in place,” said Rep. Krista Griffith (D-Fairfax), co-sponsor of the bill. “As with anything, installation is more cost-effective during initial construction than the alternatives of retrofitting after the fact. This bill will make it easier and more convenient to own an electric vehicle for all Delawareans in the years to come.

“When we can be proactive and make it easier and more appealing for people to own electric vehicles, we should. We’re also promoting cleaner air and water, resulting in improved health outcomes for everyone as we’re able to reduce the amount of carbon emissions.”

SB 103(S) is one of several environmental bills passed during the current legislative session aimed at reducing the state’s carbon emissions, including House Bill 99.

“The 152nd General Assembly has demonstrated a strong commitment to passing bold environmental legislation. Senate Bill 103 builds on our efforts to transition Delaware to a more energy-efficient state by making it easier for consumers to purchase and maintain an electric vehicle by ensuring that all new home and apartment building in our state is ready for EV charging,” said Sen. Sarah McBride (D-Wilmington), bill co-sponsor. “I thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives for passing this legislation and look forward to the Governor signing it into law.”

Another bill passed by the legislature, House Bill 12, would codify the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate program and allow up to a $2,500 rebate for EVs as well as a maximum of $1,000 for hybrid vehicles that retail up to $50,000. It’s awaiting Carney’s signature to become law.

According to the Delaware News Journal, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn Garvin should soon decide how fast the state will move toward an EV sales mandate. It’s expected that mandate will require all new vehicles sold to be electric by 2035.

There are currently 25 DC fast charger stations with 95 individual ports between them and 108 Level 2 stations with 229 ports altogether in the state, according to the Delaware News Journal.

Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control received an additional $1.2 million earlier this year from a Volkswagen settlement to install 14 DC Fast charging stations across the state. Five are proposed to be put in New Castle County storefronts, four in Kent County — three of which would be at hotels — and five would at Sussex County shopping centers, the News Journal reports.

As of July 1, Hawaii began a new mileage-based road usage program under Act 222 (Senate Bill 1534). The law eliminates a $50 annual state registration surcharge on EVs and allows owners to pay a registration surcharge or per-mile road usage fee through June 2028. Drivers who choose the per-mile road usage fee are required to provide the state with odometer readings.

Hawaii was the fourth state to implement the program behind Oregon, Utah, and Virginia. They’re meant to help recoup money from lost fuel taxes as more drivers transition to EVs.

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