Last month, Illinois lawmakers considered a tax on motorists to be paid per mile due to the rise in electric and fuel-efficient vehicles.

The proposal, introduced by state Sen. Ram Villivalam, would guide the development and evaluation of a pilot program for a road-usage charge and assess the potential for mileage-based revenue as an alternative to the current system of taxing highway use through motor fuel taxes.

The proposal would create a tax on the miles that motorists drive, helping to fix a key problem in the current system.

As things stand right now, electric vehicles that do not rely on gasoline are not paying the state’s gas tax, which helps maintain state infrastructure.

Under the proposal, vehicles would need a transponder to track the number of miles driven, or drivers would need to send a photo of their odometer.

Drivers who paid more in the gas tax than they would have based on usage would be eligible for a refund.

While the legislation is in the early stages and a pilot program would need to be conducted before implementation, concerns exist about a road-usage charge.

Illinois roads are already under surveillance. Anytime drivers take the tollway and pass through a toll, a transponder is used to track the vehicle’s location. More surveillance on the road to track mileage would be an overreach on the privacy of motorists.

Additionally, drivers of fuel-efficient or electric vehicles should not be penalized for driving more environmentally friendly vehicles. Electric and fuel-efficient vehicles are helping minimize the amount of carbon dioxide emissions accumulating in our atmosphere, and penalizing owners for their decision to drive a vehicle that doesn’t rely on petroleum won’t help incentivize more drivers to switch.

Electric vehicle owners are already paying $100 more for license plate renewals in Illinois compared to owners of combustion vehicles, and the state of Illinois currently has the second highest gas taxes in the nation with $2 billion, or 85 cents per gallon, behind only California at 88 cents per gallon.

Illinois would not be the first state to establish this type of program; both Oregon and Utah already have established programs, and five other states have started to explore the idea.

With the increase in electric vehicles, lawmakers will need to come up with new ways to fund state infrastructure, but not just with more surveillance.