Do electric cars pay road tax in the UK?
Yes. Since 1 April 2025, all electric cars registered in the UK pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), commonly known as road tax. Before that, EVs paid nothing. The Autumn Statement 2022 changed that, pulling electric cars into the same system as petrol and diesel but at lower rates.
Current EV road tax rates (2025/26 and 2026/27)
The rates are straightforward. In the first year of registration, a new zero-emission car pays £10. From the second year onwards, the annual rate is £200. That's a flat rate. Doesn't matter what the car cost new, how big the battery is, or how efficient it is.
Cars registered between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2025, which previously paid nothing, now pay £195 per year. Older EVs registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pay just £20 per year. So if you're buying a used EV from before 2025, the annual bill depends on when it was first registered.
The expensive car supplement: does it apply to EVs?
Yes. If your electric car had a list price exceeding £50,000 when new, you pay an additional £440 per year for five years, starting from the second year of registration. That makes the total £640 per year during that period.
This catches quite a few popular EVs. A Tesla Model Y Long Range, a BMW iX, a Mercedes EQC, and any Porsche Taycan all had list prices above £50,000. When buying used, the supplement follows the car. If it was over £50,000 new and still within its first six years, you pay the supplement even if the used price is now half that. Check the V5C or ask the dealer for the original list price.
What used EV buyers need to know about VED
If you're buying a used EV, and that's most of you, the key points are simple. The car will already be registered, so you won't pay the £10 first-year rate. You'll pay the annual rate when you tax it, which is £195 or £200 depending on whether it was first registered before or after April 2025. Check whether the expensive car supplement applies.
On the total running cost spreadsheet, VED is a small line compared to electricity versus petrol savings or depreciation. But it's no longer zero, and the TCO comparison tool now factors it in.
eVED: the pay-per-mile scheme coming in April 2028
The government confirmed in July 2026 that a new mileage-based charge called eVED will launch on 1 April 2028. Electric cars will pay 3p per mile on top of the existing £200 annual VED. Plug-in hybrids will pay 1.5p per mile. The rates will rise with CPI inflation from 2029/30.
At average UK mileage of around 8,500 miles per year, that's roughly £255 in eVED charges, making the total annual bill about £455 (or £895 if the expensive car supplement applies). That's still well below the VED paid by most petrol and diesel cars, but it adds up.
The system works on estimated mileage: you declare your expected annual mileage when renewing VED, pay accordingly (monthly, six-monthly or annually), then reconcile against actual mileage at year-end. There is no GPS tracking. Mileage is checked through MOT readings for cars over three years old and anniversary checks for newer cars. Low-mileage drivers benefit; high-mileage drivers pay more.
How EV road tax compares to petrol and diesel
Even with the new charges, EVs remain cheaper on VED than most conventional cars. A new petrol car emitting 130 g/km of CO₂ pays around £240 in its first year and then the same £200 standard rate. Higher-emission cars pay much more in year one, up to £2,745 for the dirtiest. Over a typical ownership period, an EV owner pays less in VED than an equivalent petrol owner.
When you add the eVED charge from 2028, the gap narrows for high-mileage drivers. But VED is only one component of running cost. The electricity-versus-fuel saving on a cheap home charging tariff dwarfs the VED difference. Our EV versus petrol running cost guide puts all the numbers together.
Timeline: what's already changed and what's coming
April 2025: EVs started paying VED. First-year rate £10, standard rate £200, expensive car supplement threshold raised from £40,000 to £50,000.
April 2028: eVED pay-per-mile launches. 3p/mile for BEVs, 1.5p/mile for PHEVs, on top of the existing annual VED. No GPS tracking.
2029/30 onwards: eVED rates rise with CPI inflation annually. The government says it'll keep EVs cheaper on tax than petrol and diesel, but the gap will keep narrowing.