Residents in Saskatchewan are reacting to the 150 dollar annual tax on electric vehicles added into this year’s budget.

Environment Minister Warren Kaeding says every time someone purchases gas in Saskatchewan, they pay an excise tax that goes to pay for highway maintenance.

“EVs use our highways,” said Kaeding. “This is the first point of entry as to how do we help cover the cost, or the loss of that revenue through the excise tax that EV owners are not going to be contributing to the maintenance of our highways as we go forward.”

However, SaskEV Society President Jason Cruickshank says about 40 percent of this year’s highways budget is not covered by the excise tax, meaning those who pay PST and income tax are helping pay for the roads, including EV driver.

Cruickshank also argued the Trans-Canada Highway is the only highway in Saskatchewan equipped with EV charging infrastructure.