eVED would put six in 10 drivers off electric switch
New research has revealed that the introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) would dissuade 62% of drivers from switching to an electric vehicle.
The new Electric Vehicle Excise Duty is expected to be introduced next April, with drivers estimating their annual mileage and paying between 1.5p per mile in a hybrid and 3p per mile in an electric.
The government has said it expects this road tax to raise up to £1.9bn.
However, the study by Venson Automotive Solutions reveals that 46% of motorists consider it an unfair tax, 62% would put them off buying an electric car, and 24% said it would a significant impact on their car buying decisions.
This comes after the Office for Budget Responsibility predicted that eVED could reduce electric vehicle sales by 120,000 units over the coming four years.
Negative reaction
Simon Staton, client management director at Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “The negative reaction to eVED is hardly surprising. The fact that almost two thirds of drivers say they are put off switching to an electric car because of the tax should ring alarm bells for policy makers.
“Fleet has spearheaded the road to electric, but just as fleets are driving adoption the sector is now rewarded with only a two-year window to incorporate an incredibly complex vehicle mileage reporting system into their day-to-day operations to comply with eVED.
“At such a crucial point where government is trying to encourage more people to switch to electric, the introduction of eVED risks upsetting the apple cart, not just with retail buyers, but with crucial fleet stalwarts who have long been the frontrunner in the drive to electric.”
