Andrew Powell
Florida lawmakers have proposed using certain funds gathered from public electric vehicle charging stations to help fund much needed critical infrastructure projects, such as new roads.
The measure (SB 462), filed by Indian Rocks Beach Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie, would move funds gathered from Florida’s public electric charging stations to the State Transportation Trust Fund through the Department of Transportation.
To address the impact of electric and hybrid vehicles and avoid implementing a new tax for electric vehicles, Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed distributing the current energy storage tax to support road projects, which is $4 million.
The Florida Department of Transportation would distribute 6-cents per kilowatt hour of electricity used at public charging stations to the trust fund, which would begin in October 2025 and would be paid every month before the 25th day thereafter if the bill passes, according to bill language.
There are currently more than 11,200 public electric charging stations across the state, Axios reported. There were also nearly 168,000 registered electric vehicles in the state as of May 2024, putting Florida second behind California for most electric vehicle drivers in the U.S. The state is further aiming to have a public charging station placed at least every 40 miles.
The new measure could add millions of dollars to state coffers for infrastructure projects. The bill further notes the disbursal of funds to the trust fund would sunset on June 30, 2030.
The average electric vehicle uses approximately 34.6 kWh of electricity to travel 100 miles, according to GenCell, which also noted the electricity used by the average American driver would equate to 336.9 kWh per month. Per day, electric vehicles use approximately 11.3 kWh. Most public charging stations use between 10 and 30 kWh per charge, which would mean the state could collect between 60-cents to $1.80 every time a charging station is used.
