Surcharge on electric vehicles in N.H. started Friday

Owners of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids registering their vehicles this month will see an extra surcharge, assuming the local clerk’s software got updated in time.

As of Sept. 1, fully electric vehicles must pay an extra $100 during annual registration and plug-in hybrids an extra $50. Traditional hybrid vehicles, which cannot be plugged in, do not face a surcharge.

According to the New Hampshire Department of Safety, the average state driver covers 12,000 miles per year and averages 25 miles per gallon. With a state gas tax of 24 cents per gallon, that’s a payment of $115 a year in gasoline taxes for this average scenario. The fees, approved by the legislature and Gov. Sununu this year, are designed to replace fuel taxes that the cars do not pay because they use less or no gasoline. In New Hampshire as in the rest of the country, gasoline taxes are by far the largest source of funding to build and maintain roads.

Online comments from some town clerks indicate that some software used to send out bills for September registration may not have been updated in time to reflect the change. Owners of affected vehicles should check  their bills to see if it is included or they might face a second bill for the surcharge.

Concord’s software was updated and September bills do reflect the new surcharge, according to the clerk’s office.

David Brooks

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