UK EV tax · the change that matters now
Electric cars will pay 3p a mile from April 2028
Plug-in hybrids will pay 1.5p. It is charged on top of road tax, and what you pay depends entirely on how far you drive. Put your mileage in and see your own figure.
Most people guess their mileage low. Your MOT history has the real number going back years — check it free on GOV.UK.
Published rate Your mileage The rate is government policy. The mileage is whatever you typed — we do not guess it for you.
How the charge works, what changed after the consultation, and the case against it
What you will actually have to do
- How will they know my mileage?
- From your MOT. The odometer reading taken at every test becomes the verified figure your declaration is checked against. Cars under three years old will not need a separate check — that requirement was dropped after the consultation.
- When do I pay?
- At each road tax renewal you estimate the miles you will drive and pay against that estimate, monthly, six-monthly or annually. Monthly by Direct Debit carries the usual 5% surcharge.
- What if I get the estimate wrong?
- It is not a penalty. Drive further and you can top up during the year at the rate then in force. Drive less and the balance normally carries forward as mileage credit rather than being refunded.
- Is anyone tracking where I drive?
- No. The government ruled that out. It is an odometer reading once a year, not a black box — which is also why miles driven abroad still count.
The other numbers, 2026/27
- 4% Company car tax on an electric car Rising one point a year to 2027/28, then two
- £200 Road tax, standard rate Electric cars paid nothing until April 2025
- 7p/15p Business mileage, home and public charging The public rate only appeared in September 2025
Calculators
- Per-mile charge from 2028What eVED will cost at your mileage
- Company car taxBenefit in kind on an electric company car
- Salary sacrificeWhat a scheme actually saves you
- Electric versus petrolRunning costs side by side
- Home charging costWhat a full charge costs on your tariff
Every figure on this site carries the date it was last checked and a link to the government document it came from. Where we cannot stand behind a number, we say so rather than estimating it. This is information about published rates, not tax advice.