What is the ev pay per mile tax?
The EV pay-per-mile tax, officially Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), is a planned UK charge on electric and plug-in hybrid cars. It depends on how far they drive. From 1 April 2028, battery electric cars will pay 3p per mile and plug-in hybrids 1.5p per mile. It is meant to replace lost fuel duty.
Fuel duty raises around £25 billion a year, but electric cars pay none. As more drivers switch, that money would disappear. The government announced eVED in the November 2025 Budget and confirmed details in July 2026. By 2026, electric cars made up a fast-growing share of new car sales, so the hole in fuel duty is expected to widen. The plan aims to keep road taxes fair across fuel types.
Drivers will give an odometer reading and estimate their mileage for the year ahead. They can pay upfront or spread the cost, with a top-up or refund at the end of the year. MOT mileage records will be used to check readings. The rates will rise with CPI inflation from 2029/30.
At 3p per mile, a driver covering 8,000 miles a year would pay £240. Electric cars still pay standard vehicle excise duty as well. Supporters say all drivers should contribute to road costs. Critics fear it could slow the switch to electric cars, penalise rural drivers who travel further, and raise privacy concerns about tracking. Hydrogen fuel cell cars will pay the same 3p rate as battery electric cars.
Who it affects: Electric car drivers, from April 2028
Some on the left accept the need to replace fuel duty but worry about rural drivers and want clean transport protected.
Many on the right oppose a new tax on motorists, though some argue all road users should pay their share.
Britain is split. Now you decide.
Set the EV pay-per-mile charge in the Population Decides Budget and balance revenue, emissions and drivers' anger.
Play Population Decides freeCommon questions
When does the EV pay-per-mile tax start?
On 1 April 2028.
How much is the EV mileage tax?
3p per mile for battery electric cars and 1.5p per mile for plug-in hybrids.
Will my car be tracked?
No. The plan uses odometer readings and MOT records, not GPS tracking.