SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah would charge electric and hybrid vehicle owners for miles driven through a voluntary program.
The Deseret News reportedWednesday that the state will be one of the first to collect a road usage charge to compensate for diminishing gas tax revenue.
The Utah Department of Transportation hopes to enroll 400 to 500 hybrid and electric vehicle owners in the program scheduled to begin in January.
Officials say the state would waive an annual flat fee for those vehicles and charge them 1.5 cents per mile driven, capping the charge to prevent costs from exceeding the annual fee.
The transportation department says only 2% percent of Utah's 2.6 million registered vehicles are electric, plug-in electric or hybrids.
Officials say 89.5% run on gasoline and 8.5% use diesel fuel.