A new per-mile tax on electric vehicles could deter nearly half of prospective buyers from switching to an EV, according to new research from AutoTrader, raising concerns that government policy on electric car adoption is becoming increasingly contradictory.
From 2028, drivers of electric vehicles will face a new charge of 3p per mile travelled, a move announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. AutoTrader’s chief executive, Nathan Coe, said the decision risked undermining years of efforts to encourage drivers to move away from petrol and diesel.
Coe described the policy as “incoherent and inconsistent” with the government’s stated ambition to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, warning that it could slow momentum at a critical stage.
AutoTrader’s latest report, No Driver Left Behind, found that while 62 per cent of motorists are currently considering an electric car as their next vehicle, that figure falls sharply once cost and income are taken into account. Among households earning less than £40,000 a year, just 48 per cent are considering an EV, compared with 73 per cent of those with higher incomes.
Support authors and subscribe to content
This is premium stuff. Subscribe to read the entire article.
