Pennsylvania has introduced a new Road User Charge that will require owners of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to pay an annual fee intended to contribute to the upkeep of the state’s road and bridge network. The charge took effect on April 1 and applies to registrations that expire after May 2025.
PennDOT described the change as a way to ensure vehicles that do not pay conventional fuel taxes still contribute to transportation funding. In a statement the agency said, “This new law ensures that all drivers, regardless of the type of vehicle they own, contribute to the upkeep of Pennsylvania’s vital infrastructure.”
What drivers need to know
For the 2025 registration year, the annual RUC is set at $200 for electric vehicles and $50 for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Vehicle owners who choose a two-year registration will pay twice those amounts, meaning $400 for EVs and $100 for PHEVs for a two-year cycle.
The schedule changes in 2026, with one-year fees rising to $250 for EVs and $63 for PHEVs, and two-year fees moving to $500 and $126 respectively. From 2027 onward, the fee will be adjusted each year according to the Consumer Price Index. The PHEV charge is fixed at 25 percent of the EV charge, rounded to the nearest dollar.
Initially, PennDOT will notify affected registrants by mail. The notice will include payment instructions, and owners must return a check or money order within 30 days. Payment will be required to complete registration renewals after that point. The department plans to launch an online payment portal by August 2025, and a monthly payment option is expected to become available in July 2026.
The RUC replaces the earlier Alternative Fuels Tax for light vehicles, which required tracking electricity usage and calculating an equivalent fuel tax. PennDOT said the new flat fee simplifies administration and removes the need for owners to monitor charging or calculate kilowatt-hour to fuel equivalents.
Not all electric vehicles are subject to the charge. Exemptions include golf carts, electric motorcycles, vehicles manufactured in 1990 or earlier, and certain government vehicles. The policy is targeted at passenger vehicles and similar light vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 pounds or less.
