As of July 1, Wyoming became one of eight states to charge special fee on vehicles that rely solely on electricity as a fuel source.
The $50 fee was created in new legislation earlier this year in an effort to offset the lack of gas tax collected from these vehicles. The gas tax is one of the primary funding sources for highway projects across the state.
The new fee is specific to “plug-in electric vehicles” and does not include hybrids. It will be assessed annually.
The legislation (http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2015/bills/HB0009.pdf) was approved almost unanimously. It passed the Senate 29-0, with one absence. The vote in the House passed 56-3 with one absence. The three nays were: Marti Halverson of Lincoln/Sublette/Teton counties, Kendell Kroeker of Natrona County, and Robert McKim of Lincoln County.
Here’s the complete vote breakdown: http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2015/Digest/HB0009.pdf
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (http://www.ncsl.org/research/energy/state-electric-vehicle-incentives-state-chart.aspx), the other seven states that have special electric vehicle fees are: Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia.