Electric Car Owners Face $75 Annual Fee In Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota owners of vehicles powered exclusively by electricity will face a new fee next year.

Minnesota Public Radio reports the annual $75 surcharge approved by state lawmakers takes effect in January. Minnesota joins a growing number of states tacking on an extra registration charge on electric vehicles to make up for lost gas tax revenues.

The fee is expected to generate about $40,000 the first two years, but revenue estimates more than double in the two years after that.

The surcharge applies to what are called "all-electric vehicles," which are able to draw power solely from rechargeable batteries, fuel cells or other electrical currents. Plug-in hybrids that require some gasoline to run wouldn't be subject to the fee.