Saskatchewan increases yearly electric vehicle road user fee to $300 annually

In a recent statement to CBC, Tyler Krause, the Executive Director of Saskatchewan Electric Vehicle Association (SaskEV), expressed concerns about the equity of the increased road-use charge on electric vehicles (EVs) in the province.

Saskatchewan was the first Canadian jurisdiction to introduce an EV-specific road-use charge. The charge, collected by the Saskatchewan Government Insurance, is used to fix roads and fund road projects in the province. However, with only 1,394 EV registrations in 2024, Saskatchewan remains a minor market for EVs compared to other jurisdictions.

The road-use charge is intended to ensure that EV owners pay their fair share towards the province's infrastructure, as EVs contribute to wear and tear on provincial roadways but do not contribute to highway maintenance through the provincial fuel tax. The Saskatchewan Government recently increased the annual road-use charge on EVs from $150 to $300, effective June 1, 2025.

Tyler Krause agrees that an EV tax is necessary to deal with road maintenance costs. However, he believes that the current increase is premature, given the low number of EVs in Saskatchewan. He suggests that the current increase in the road-use charge on EVs is not justified yet.

It's important to note that the statement from Tyler Krause does not discuss the funding of road projects in Saskatchewan or the use of the road-use charge. Neither does it mention the Saskatchewan Government Insurance's role in collecting the road-use charge nor any specific alternative to the current increase in the road-use charge on EVs.

Meanwhile, Alberta has also introduced an EV-specific road-use charge, with a $200 tax on EVs, effective January of this year. The doubling of the charge in Saskatchewan is intended to ensure that EV owners pay their fair share to the province's infrastructure.

As of Q4 2024, Saskatchewan accounts for 0.4% of overall EV sales. The details about the highest-paid person within the Saskatchewan Government who decided to double the annual road usage fee for electric vehicles from $150 to $300 effective June 1, 2025, were not available in the provided search results.

Tyler Krause from SaskEV is frustrated by the increase in the road-use charge on EVs and has called for a more equitable solution to the issue. The debate continues as more EV owners and advocates voice their concerns about the fairness of the increased road-use charge in Saskatchewan.