Fair and sustainable funding is coming,
mahalo for your support!
SB 1534 passed the 2023 Hawaii State Legislature, and is awaiting Gov. Josh Green’s signature. This bill eliminates the $50 annual state registration surcharge for electric vehicles beginning July 1, 2025. It establishes the option for EV drivers to pay $8 per 1,000 miles (or 0.8 cents per mile) and no more than $50 annually.
MAHALO to our community, pilot participants, and elected officials for your feedback and support over the past six years. This a big step to securing Hawaii’s clean energy and sustainable funding future.
Check back for next steps.
Key Findings from the HiRUC Final Report
Hawaii drivers have a high level of understanding and high initial acceptance of road usage charging, with more support than opposition.
Participants’ support for RUC grew when told:
…Funds are dedicated to the maintenance and improvement of roads and bridges.
….A RUC program starts gradually, with an initial RUC for electric vehicles only.
….According to Hawaii residents who participated in the Technology Test Drive, a pilot project where participants reported the miles they drove and provided feedback on the experience: A majority of pilot participants recommended moving forward with a road usage charge program.
A significant majority of drivers prefer to report miles at their annual vehicle inspection.
About half of drivers prefer to pay a road usage charge in quarterly or monthly installments.
The HiRUC Final Report is Available
Community input formed the recommendations in the August 2022 HiRUC Final Report.
MAHALO to all participants!
What is HiRUC?
To prepare for a more resilient future, Hawaii and many other states are looking for a fair, fiscally reliable, and sustainable, way to pay for the safety, upkeep, and improvement of roads and bridges. The current method, the gas tax, is no longer a reliable source of funding as more environmentally friendly fuel-efficient cars and trucks and electric and hybrid vehicles populate our roads.
As a result of a three-year community outreach, feedback, and research project, Hawaii’s Department of Transportation (HDOT) is proposing a gradual transition to a road usage charge (RUC), which is based on paying for the miles you drive.
Given the fast pace of EV and hybrid vehicle adoption in Hawaii, HDOT recommends moving forward with a minimally disruptive transition to road usage charging for EVs without delay.
