Contact: Noah Barnes, Electrification Coalition
noah@electrification.org, (202) 461-2371
COLUMBIA, S.C.—South Carolina lawmakers are scheduled to vote this week on legislation that would significantly increase costs for electric vehicle (EV) drivers. The proposal, S. 831, would raise the state’s biennial EV tax from $120 to $400. That tax increase is also included in H. 5071, which further imposes a new 4.5-cent-per-kilowatt-hour tax on electricity sold at publicly accessible EV charging stations.
In response, Electrification Coalition Executive Director Ben Prochazka released the following statement:
“At a time when gas prices are rising, electric vehicles offer a proven solution. EVs reduce dependence on oil by powering transportation with domestically produced electricity and can save drivers thousands of dollars through lower fuel and maintenance costs. Tripling the EV tax to $400 and adding a new tax on charging are punitive solutions to a larger problem, unfairly targeting South Carolinians who choose to drive electric.
“South Carolina is a growing hub for EV and battery manufacturing, with companies like Scout Motors, Redwood Materials, and Oshkosh Defense creating more than 14,000 jobs across the state. Punitive taxes like those in S. 831 and H. 5071 risk slowing EV adoption and undermining the very industries and jobs the state has been cultivating.
“South Carolina does not produce oil, so consumers’ gasoline dollars are being pumped out of state. By contrast, South Carolina is a net producer of electricity, so powering vehicles with electricity keeps more energy dollars within the state and reduces the economic and national security risks associated with oil.
“The proposed taxes would make it more expensive for South Carolinians to switch to an EV and put more money in their pocketbooks by getting off of oil and gas. While EV drivers should pay their fair share for road maintenance, we encourage policymakers to pursue fair, balanced infrastructure funding solutions without penalizing technologies that lower costs for consumers, reduce oil dependence, and support South Carolina’s long-term economic competitiveness.”
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About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes policies and actions to facilitate the widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) on a mass scale to overcome the economic, public health and national security challenges that stem from America’s dependence on oil. ElectrificationCoalition.org