Oregon’s voluntary pay-by-mile program for motorists is 10 years old, still a trial

Earlier this month, Oregon joined nine other states in meeting a goal to get 3.3 million electric vehicles on the road by 2025. That number is set to grow under a rule that requires all new passenger cars, SUVs and pickup trucks sold in Oregon to either be fully electric or plug-in hybrid electric by 2035. 

But adopting cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles also means that Oregon and other states are grappling with reduced revenues from gas taxes. Electric vehicle owners also don’t pay any gas tax, which have led states like Oregon to explore launching programs which charge motorists a fee based on how much they travel instead of how often they refill at the pump.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has operated a voluntary, pay-by-mile program since 2015. Roughly 800 people are currently enrolled in OReGO, which charges participants 2 cents for every mile driven in Oregon. Joining us to talk about what’s been learned after a decade of this pilot program is Travis Brouwer, assistant director for revenue, finance and compliance at ODOT.