Legislation needs to be enacted that would prevent owners of electric vehicles to avoid paying the gasoline tax they are obviously avoiding by operating those vehicles.

In Norway, there is an electric vehicle hookup system, installed by the town at taxpayer expense, that allows anyone to hook up to it and thereby avoid having to pay any fuel tax whatsoever. All of this vehicular welfare and electric car owners still get as much as $7,500 as an inducement to purchase such vehicles in the first place.

If everyone were to obtain electric vehicles, by extension, where would the necessary funding originate to maintain and manage the roads, bridges, tunnels and airports? Possibly from still higher taxes on everything else, I would imagine.

Volvo recently announced that by 2022, it will not be making any internal combustion engine vehicles.

The issue must be addressed and resolved now and not by “kicking the can down the road.” Influential representatives must originate legislation in their respective chambers and get it accomplished without any further delay. Legislators should end this welfare scheme when they return to session in Augusta. Now is the time to fulfill their responsibilities to those who elected them by addressing electric vehicle usage and lost fuel tax revenue.

Tom Curtis, Norway