American woman shares bill revealing the hidden costs of owning a PHEV
- US driver shares hidden costs of owning PHEV in America
- She received a $200 EV license plate renewal fee
- She joked that she should ‘throw the whole vehicle away’
Published on Jan 17, 2025 at 5:37 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jan 20, 2025 at 10:20 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A TikTok video has gone viral, in which a US PHEV driver shares the hidden costs of owning her car in America.
She was taken by surprise when she received a $200 EV license-plate renewal fee.
The reason? To compensate for lost gas tax revenue.
Understandably, she was less-than-happy about the unexpected bill.
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An unexpected bill
After admittedly not doing her research on what it would cost to renew her plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), Jessica Renee, aka @jess.iereneexo received an additional $200 fee.
“What do you need $200 extra for?” she asked her followers in a video that has been viewed 16.2K times since it was posted on Wednesday.
“What are y’all doing with my license plate to renew them?”
“It ain’t like you’re making me a new one, it ain’t like you’re putting it on or the tags on me – I’m physically doing that.”
She even joked that she should ‘throw the whole vehicle away’.
Hidden costs of PHEV in America
As always, social media had the answers, with comments in the droves informing the TikToker why she’s received the bill.
Some states charge EV owners a ‘fuel fee’ that can be more than $300 to compensate for lost gas tax revenue.
The government uses these gas taxes, which EV users avoid, to fund road maintenance and other road infrastructure costs.
@jess.iereneexo Between the electric bill and now this…throw the whole vehicle away #electricvehicle #chevy #chevyblazer ♬ original sound – JESSICA RENEE
Recently, a hydrogen car owner also revealed the hidden monthly costs that add up to more than the initial car payment.
Some argue EV owners should contribute fairly to infrastructure costs.
While some EV owners accept the fees as a trade-off, critics of the charge compare the fees to incentives for gas-powered cars.
Other hidden costs include the price of insurance for EVs like the Tesla Cybertruck.
One woman claimed that after buying the mega pick-up the price of her insurance quadrupled from her Model 3 insurance in Las Vegas, US.
With a dual English and French degree and NCTJ diploma, Amelia began her career doing award-winning writing and editing for titles and brands spanning Women's Health, the Telegraph, Boots, and Vitality. Amelia joined the SB Media family in September of 2023, bringing her expertise in SEO and reader takeaway. As Lead Editor, her superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a shareable story.
