Driving an electric vehicle could get more expensive if congressional Republicans have their way.

GOP lawmakers have proposed levying an annual $250 fee on EV owners as part of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” on taxes, immigration, energy and defense. They argue that the fee, which would be collected using the existing state registration system, would help offset the cost of extending Trump’s expiring 2017 tax cuts.

Yet the proposal is stirring controversy on and off Capitol Hill, with climate advocates calling it a punitive tax on EV owners - one that is far pricier than the fee paid by owners of gasoline-powered cars.

“It overburdens one particular group of vehicles and consumers,” said Ben Prochazka, executive director of the Electrification Coalition, a nonprofit group that promotes EVs. “And frankly it won’t solve the problem because it won’t generate enough revenue.”

Republicans counter that EV owners don’t pay the federal gas tax, a major source of revenue for the Highway Trust Fund, which covers the costs of road repairs nationwide. The federal gas tax hasn’t been raised since 1993 or adjusted for inflation. At the same time, EV adoption has increased, and gas cars have become more fuel-efficient, drying up revenue. The Highway Trust Fund is projected to become insolvent by 2028 unless Congress intervenes.

“For far too long, EVs have operated on our nation’s roads without paying into this system,” said Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri), who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “Plain and simple, this is a fairness issue, and it’s time these roadway users pay their share for the use of the road.”

Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas), who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, also framed the measure as a matter of fairness.

“There’s zero tax on the EVs,” Westerman said. “They’re paying nothing to use the infrastructure. EVs drive for free on the roads, whereas if you’re driving an internal combustion engine vehicle, every time you fill up, you’re putting money into the Highway Trust Fund.”

The proposal comes as EVs face increasing headwinds. Congressional Republicans are likely to revoke the federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for new EV purchases. At the same time, the Trump administration has ordered a halt to a nationwide EV charging program and moved to repeal tailpipe emissions rules that would have pushed automakers to make more EVs.

The Transportation Committee voted last week to approve the proposal, which would also impose an annual $100 fee on drivers of hybrid vehicles. If enacted, these fees could help raise more than $38 billion over the next decade, according to committee aides.

But according to calculations by Consumer Reports, the $250 fee is more than double what the owner of even the most gas-guzzling vehicle would pay in fuel taxes - and more than triple the amount paid by the average new gas car driver.

At a federal gas tax rate of 18.4 cents per gallon, a new gas car getting 28 miles per gallon and driving around 11,000 miles a year would pay $73 annually into the Highway Trust Fund.

“EV drivers want to pay their fair share,” said Ingrid Malmgren, senior policy director for Plug In America, a group that advocates for EV drivers. “But they don’t want to be punished.”

Regardless of what Congress decides, at least 39 states have already imposed registration fees on residents who drive EVs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Those fees vary widely. In some states, such as Texas, the EV fee is $120 more than the equivalent gas tax levied by the state. In others, such as California, EV drivers pay $170 less than the equivalent gas tax.

EV fees far outstrip the gas tax in several states that typically elect Republicans, including Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. But this phenomenon also persists in some blue states, such as New Jersey, which began charging EV drivers a $250 fee last year.

The Transportation Committee initially planned a $200 annual fee for EV drivers and a $20 annual fee for drivers of gas cars. But the panel eventually increased the fee on EV drivers and abandoned the tax on gas car drivers altogether due to opposition from some Republicans.

“It’s easy to pick on a small minority,” said Chris Harto, senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports, noting that EV drivers represent just 2 percent of drivers on the road. “But this is a much bigger problem and needs a much bigger solution.”

Want to comment on this story? Become a subscriber today. Click here.