Maryland Proposal Would Slap Annual $750 Registration Surcharge on Hummers, other Mammoth SUVs

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Driving a super-sized sport utility vehicle on Maryland roads would cost $750 more a year under a measure being considered by state lawmakers.

Driving a super-sized sport utility vehicle on Maryland roads would cost $750 more a year under a measure being considered by state lawmakers.


Delegate Bill Bronrott is promoting the registration renewal surcharge for owners of SUVs that weigh more than 6,000 pounds.


"This bill is ... about the largest, heaviest passenger vehicles that are the least fuel efficient and the most toxic to our air, land and water," the Democrat told a House committee hearing Tuesday.


SUVs covered by the legislation include the Hummer H2, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Lincoln Navigator and the GMC Yukon XL.


"They pose a highway safety hazard, and they disproportionately beat up our roads and bridges," said Bronrott, who acknowledged that the bill as written may not survive in the legislature.


Automobile dealers oppose an increase.


Maryland owners of vehicles over 3,700 pounds currently pay a renewal fee of $180 every two years, compared to a fee of $128 for vehicles under 3,700 pounds.


The state doesn't keep records of how many residents own SUVs weighing more than 6,000 pounds.


Source: Associated Press