Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, said that the White House is weighing a mileage tax and special bonds to fund infrastructure.
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He spoke fondly of a mileage levy, which would tax travelers based on how far they travel instead of on how much gasoline they consume
Source: White House considers vehicle mileage tax to fund infrastructure, Buttigieg says
This is proposed because of electrical vehicles which do not pay a gas tax.
My state has instituted a flat rate, higher license fee on EVs (up to 3x higher than gas registration fees) rather than tax by the mile, but the state is also conducting a tax-by-the mile experiment. Based on their tax estimate calculator, the annual taxes paid for my fuel efficient Honda Fit would double based on a per mile tax – and I drive it half as much as the typical vehicle is driven. There are also questions about whether you’d pay in-state per mile taxes even if you drove your vehicle in another state.
A per-mile tax seems likely to also be a sizeable stealth tax hike on mobility.
