Utah officials are busy designing a system to tax cars that now escape the gasoline tax — such as electric and hybrid vehicles — according to how many miles they drive. But they say they need some tweaks in state law to actually launch it.
Such a new system could save drivers of those “clean-fuel” cars money, compared to new flat fees they will begin paying Jan. 1.
Nathan Lee, director of technology and innovation for the Utah Department of Transportation, delivered that message Wednesday to the state’s Transportation and Tax Review Task Force.
Legislators and highway officials have long worried that revenue from the gas tax — which funds the bulk of state highway maintenance — has been declining as gasoline-powered cars get better mileage, and increasing numbers of hybrid and electric cars pay little or no such tax.