COLUMBUS, Ohio — Starting next week, owners of of hybrid and electric vehicles in Ohio will owe more money when they renew their vehicle registrations.

Starting on Wednesday, Jan. 1, higher annual registration fees — $100 for standard hybrids and $200 for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids — go into effect. That’s a substantial increase over current annual registration fees, which for passenger vehicles start at $34.50 and can run more, depending on where you live.

The new fees were part of the most recent state transportation budget bill, passed by state lawmakers and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in April. They were created to accompany a hike in the state’s gas tax — 10.5 cents for conventional gas and 19 cents for diesel — to pay for road and bridge construction and upkeep. State lawmakers reasoned that if conventional vehicle owners were forced to pay more at the pump, the fees would make sure electric and hybrid vehicle owners paid more, too.

The new fees are expected to cost hybrid and electric owners an extra $15.8 million a year, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission, money that will be split between the state’s highway operating fund and local governments.