America’s Highway Trust Fund gets its money mostly from taxes on gasoline and diesel — a small amount you pay each time you fill up at the pump.

As more and more drivers switch to electric or hybrid vehicles, that means fewer trips to the gas station and less climate pollution from our cars. That’s a good thing!

But it also means less gas tax being collected, and therefore less money to build and maintain America’s highways. To solve this problem, Congress is considering including a federal fee for EV and hybrid drivers in the upcoming Highway Bill reauthorization. We’re asking Congress to keep any new EV and hybrid fee fair compared to the current gas tax.

We  don’t want to see an unfair financial burden placed on EV and hybrid owners. And if driving these types of cars remains an affordable transportation option, we can help reduce emissions from America’s transportation sector well into the future.

After all, millions of people across America are reducing their transportation emissions by switching from a gas car to a hybrid or electric vehicle.

That climate-friendly choice shouldn’t come with unfair costs.

What is the Highway Reauthorization bill?

The Highway Reauthorization bill is a federal legislative package that funds and sets policies for America’s transportation system. That includes U.S. roads, public transit, and safety programs. Provisions in the bill are typically set to last about five years before requiring renewal. The current version of the bill expires on September 30, making it a high priority for the current Congress.

What is the Highway Trust Fund?

The United States has a federal Highway Trust Fund, which finances the construction and maintenance of our interstates. The Highway Trust Fund gets its money mostly from taxes on gasoline and diesel — a small amount you pay each time you fill up at the pump. The 2026 Highway Reauthorization bill will set funding and policies for the Highway Trust Fund.

How much is the federal gas tax right now?

The gas tax is currently 18.4 cents per gallon of regular gasoline. How much a driver pays each year depends on how much they drive and their car’s fuel efficiency, but for a typical 22 mile per gallon vehicle driven 13,500 miles per year, it costs the average American a little over $100 per year. The federal gas tax has not been raised since 1993 and each year there is a shortfall of over $15 billion in what the trust fund spends versus the revenue.

What else does CCL do to support EVs?

CCL does not specifically work on transportation or EV policy. We did advocate for EV and hybrid-related tax credits in the 2025 budget reconciliation bill as part of our regular mobilization actions around a range of climate policies and actions in Congress. All of our policy work is focused on reducing emissions, removing climate pollution, and protecting people. Learn more about our work in our 2026 Strategic Plan.

Will Congress listen to me?

Yes! The idea that elected representatives don’t listen to their constituents is not true. In reality, congressional staffers take every call and voicemail and read every email their office receives and pass these onto their member of Congress in regular briefings. Congress works for you, and they want to know what their constituents care about. You may receive a generic email in response, but your message was still received loud and clear.

How else can I help?

You only need to email your representative and senators one time each using our tool. Then, share this page with any friends, family and coworkers who want to help keep clean transportation options affordable!