Drivers support road tax for EVs

Nearly a third of electric vehicle buyers would be happy to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) on their next purchase, according to What Car?.

Research based on feedback from 2,173 in-market buyers revealed that 56% of drivers believe fully electric vehicles should already pay road tax. This includes EV buyers – 29% of whom believe they should already attract some kind of tax bill.

Of the 44% of respondents who believe EVs should remain tax exempt for now, 40% want them taxed them by 2030, when the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles arrives, while 10% want them taxed by 2025.

The most popular option for all in-market buyers surveyed is a flat annual tax on all electric cars that is equal across all makes, with 39% in favour, while 26% would like to see road charging, where users are charged per mile driven. A progressive annual tax based on a vehicle’s list price was favoured by 18% of in-market buyers.

Steve Huntingford, editor, What Car?, said: “Fully electric cars currently enjoy a tax-free status to help incentivise uptake, but this will need to change in the coming years as petrol and diesel ownership declines. Our research has found buyers, including those intending to buy electric as their next car, are already open to the idea of paying road tax on an electric vehicle, with most keen to see a flat rate introduced across all makes and models.”

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