LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A tax increase goes into effect this week in Arkansas, and despite the ruby red nature of the state's politics, many are applauding. The bump in wholesale taxes for gas and diesel will help pay for highway improvements.
While everyone who drives the 12th largest highway system in America can expect to pay more at the pump, but if you do the math, most of us will hardly notice the three extra cents at a weekly fill-up. But one group of drivers will see some sticker shock: Electric and hybrid owners can expect to take a hit.
"You've got to look at it in terms of road user fees," said Danny Straessle, spokesperson for the Arkansas Dept. of Transportation. "The bill itself is going to provide $95 million that we didn't have previously."
How much of that $95 million you will contribute depends on the type of driving you do. Gasoline goes from 21.5 cents per gallon to 24.5. Diesel will increase 6 cents to 28.5.
If you drive a pick up like a Ford F-150, based on gas mileage and average travel, expect to pay about $28-30 more next year in gas. A driver of the popular sedan, the Nissan Altima will pay about $20 more.
If you are one of the 18,777 owners of a high-mpg hybrid, gas is only going up about $10. But there is a catch: There's a new $100 fee to register your hybrid each year. It shocked more than a few drivers when they went to the local revenue office.
"The increase in registration fees for hybrid and electric vehicles is, it's an equity tax. It's a fairness tax," Straessle said. "The owners of these vehicles are not paying road user fees like gasoline vehicle drivers are doing. They're still putting wear and tear on the roads, but not paying as much in tax at the pump to pay for that wear and tear."
Before you sing the hybrid blues, consider this: based on tank size and miles per gallon, the driver of a 2019 Toyota Prius will pay about $960 less than a pick-up owner, and about $650 less than a sedan owner if they all drive the same number of miles.
So it still pencils out to get a Prius.
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