Almost 21k Midlands EV drivers could pay more to use SC roads. Here’s how much

For nearly 21,000 Richland and Lexington County car owners, a biennial visit to the DMV or using a public electric vehicle charger could get more expensive as lawmakers consider how to raise money for the state’s roads and bridges.

South Carolina proposals would raise the electric vehicle registration fee to $400 every other year, and $200 for hybrid vehicle drivers. Large electric vehicles would have to pay even more, depending on their size.

Currently, electric vehicle owners pay a $120 registration fee every other year, and hybrid vehicle drivers pay $60. The levy is on top of the regular registration fees.

Electric vehicles don’t pay a gas tax, despite contributing to wear-and-tear and congestion on the roads. The new fees are aimed at boosting revenue for road and bridge repairs lost when drivers don’t fill up their gas tank. The electric vehicle tax trails behind other southeastern states, Department of Transportation Secretary Justin Powell told lawmakers Thursday.

“It’s not a revenue generator for the state,” Powell said. “It’s really an insurance policy as people adopt electric vehicles, that they pay their fair share.”

Inflation has also made roads projects more expensive, and the cost of major highway projects in the state have risen by more than $1 billion since 2022, according to Gov. Henry McMaster’s office. The 28.5 cent gas tax doesn’t go as far to pave roads as projects become pricier.

Statewide, there are 124,730 registered hybrid vehicles and 30,518 registered electric vehicles, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Without new electric or hybrid vehicle drivers, the proposal would add more than $13 million annually in additional revenue.

Both General Assembly chambers have filed, and held hearings, on bills aimed at reforming the state Department of Transportation, reducing congestion and generating revenue for road and bridge repairs. The new EV fees are included in both proposals. The House bill has backing House Republican leaders, including House Speaker Murrell Smith.

The fee change would impact the 16,554 registered hybrid and 4,287 electric vehicle drivers in Richland and Lexington counties, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles.

The registration fees would also be reevaluated and adjusted for inflation every four years, beginning in 2030.

A 4.5 cents per kilowatt-hour sales tax on public electric vehicle charging stations was also included in the House and Senate bills.

Neither proposal suggests raising the gas tax, a 28.5 cent levy on fuel and diesel in the state. If the gas tax were raised to keep up with inflation, the department could make about $1 billion more a year by 2050, said Revenue and Fiscal Affairs executive director Frank Rainwater in December.

This story was originally published February 7, 2026 at 5:00 AM.