S. 2882: Stop EV Freeloading Act

This bill imposes a new excise tax in the amount of $1,000 on the sale of an electric vehicle and a new excise tax in the amount of $550 on the sale of a battery module weighing over 1,000 pounds for use in an electric vehicle. The bill also requires the Department of the Treasury to transfer amounts collected from the new excise taxes to the Highway Trust Fund.

The bill defines electric vehicle as a light-duty vehicle (a motor vehicle weighing less than 8,500 pounds that is manufactured for use on public roads) that is powered by a battery with a capacity of at least seven kilowatt hours and is recharged through an external source of electricity. The bill specifies that the term does not apply to hybrid vehicles, which are powered by a combination of fuel and a rechargeable energy storage system.

The bill defines battery module as two or more battery cells configured to create voltage or current (or no battery cells) and with an aggregate capacity of at least seven kilowatt hours (or one kilowatt hour for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle).

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.