To: UK Government
Do not double-tax electric cars
Do not double-tax electric cars
Why is this important?
Yes. As of July 2026, the UK Government has confirmed that a mileage-based tax for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids will begin in April 2028. The scheme is officially called Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED).
The confirmed headline details are:
Vehicle type From April 2028 Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) | 3p per mile
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) | 1.5p per mile
Standard (non-plug-in) hybrids | No change, existing VED rules apply
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) | 1.5p per mile
Standard (non-plug-in) hybrids | No change, existing VED rules apply
The mileage charge is in addition to the existing annual Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) introduced for EVs from April 2025. It is not a replacement.
Other confirmed points include:
- Drivers will normally self-report their annual mileage.
- Mileage will be checked against MOT records once the vehicle reaches three years old.
- The Government has dropped its earlier proposal for mandatory annual mileage inspections on vehicles under three years old.
Example annual costs
Annual mileageEV (3p/mile)PHEV (1.5p/mile)
5,000 | £150 | £75
10,000 | £300 | £150
15,000 | £450 | £225
20,000 | £600 | £300
5,000 | £150 | £75
10,000 | £300 | £150
15,000 | £450 | £225
20,000 | £600 | £300
This means an owner of a typical electric car registered after April 2025 could, for example, pay:
- Annual VED: £200
- Plus 10,000 miles of eVED: £300
- Total: £500 per year
Luxury EVs that attract the Expensive Car Supplement would continue to pay that where applicable, on top of the above, during the relevant years.
