Saskatchewan residents are responding to the $ 150 annual electric vehicle tax added to this year's budget.
Environment Secretary Warren Kaeding says that every time someone buys gasoline in Saskatchewan, they pay an excise tax that is used for highway maintenance.
"Electric vehicles use our highways," said Kaeding. "This is the first entry point into how we can help cover the cost or loss of that revenue through excise duty that EV owners will not contribute to the maintenance of our highways in the future."
According to Jason Cruickshank, president of the SaskEV Society, around 40 percent of this year's highway budget is not covered by excise tax, meaning those who pay PST and income tax will help pay for the roads, including the EV driver.
Cruickshank also argued that the Trans-Canada Highway is the only highway in Saskatchewan equipped with an electric vehicle charging infrastructure.