Modern cars are increasingly fuel-efficient — so drivers pay less in gasoline taxes used to repair and build roads and highways. Electric cars avoid the gas tax entirely.
So Utah officials foresee that in 20 years or so, they will need to recapture disappearing revenue by perhaps dumping the tax at the pump and instead charging residents for every mile they drive — based on odometer readings or metering by similar devices.
The Utah Department of Transportation said Wednesday it wants to start a small pilot project, perhaps as soon as next year, with something like 100 volunteers to test such a program.