TALLAHASSEE, Fla – As Florida looks to expand the number of electric vehicles on our roads, and the infrastructure to support them, state lawmakers are looking at how they can add more funding sources to the budget.
This month, Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie, filed SB 462, a measure that proposes collecting money from the state’s public electric charging stations. FDOT would distribute 6 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity used at public charging stations to the State Transportation Trust Fund. If passed, the payments would begin in October 2025 and continue every month.
Our News 6 crew spoke to drivers who stopped to charge their EV’s near Lee Road and U.S. 17-92 Monday. One woman said it typically costs her about $24 to charge her vehicle. Another woman showed us her total of 33 kWh.
Based on the bill’s proposal, the state could collect just under $2 for that single transaction.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Estimates online show the average American EV uses about 30kWH per 100 miles, based on information gathered from the U.S. Department of Transportation by GenCell. They estimate the average electric vehicle driver uses about 336.9 kWh each month.
With an estimated 2,358 electric vehicle charging stations in Florida, the state could collect millions of dollars that would go towards infrastructure improvements, such as road projects.
Right now, data provided by the state’s department of transportation shows that the majority of state funding revenue comes from the fuel tax. In the fiscal year 2023, the gas tax generated $2,564 million that was deposited into the Transportation Trust Fund.
Since the majority of vehicles registered in the state are not EV’s, even if the bill becomes law the amount generated by the fuel tax each year would likely still be the largest revenue stream.
Of the 24,204,035 total vehicles registered in Florida, 346,038 are electric vehicles, according to Florida’s Department Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
A spokesperson provided the following data for several counties in Central Florida to News 6:
- Orange: 33,994 electric vehicles
- Osceola: 5,792 electric vehicles
- Seminole: 7,791electric vehicles
As time goes on, officials with FDOT expect the fuel tax will become less sustainable and a less equitable fee as more electric vehicles hit the road.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: