DVLA confirms free road tax axed as drivers hit | Tech News
Drivers will no longer get free car tax (Image: Getty)
New £200 fees are being levied towards EV drivers after a DVLA change that began in April.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has confirmed a vehicle tax change which implies electric automobiles no longer qualify for free road tax.
It signifies that as of April 2026, drivers of electric automobiles will begin paying a £200 a 12 months flat fee for road tax, nevertheless it may rise even larger relying on the price and age of the car.
The RAC says: “Electric cars no longer qualify for free road tax, which means all of the UK’s EV drivers are required to pay for car tax (officially known as VED or Vehicle Excise Duty).
“How a lot you’ll pay to tax your electric car will depend upon the 12 months it was first registered and its unique checklist price.”
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But the cost could rise even higher, thanks to the Expensive Car Supplement, which can add up to another £640 a year to your car tax.
The RAC adds: “For most electric car drivers, the fee of road tax (VED) in 2026 is £200 per 12 months.
“Drivers of more expensive EVs also have to pay an Expensive Car Supplement, or ‘Luxury Car Tax,’ annually for five years. This adds £440 a year from the second year of the car’s registration, and takes the total annual VED up to £640.
“The Expensive Car Supplement used to use to all automobiles with a checklist price (the on-the-road car price) over £40,000. This threshold was elevated to £50,000 in November 2025 – however just for electric automobiles. This permits more EVs to be exempt from the additional charge.
“If your electric car was registered before April 2017, your annual VED will be £20.”
It comes as EV gross sales surge following the current petrol and diesel price spikes brought on by the warfare in Iran.
Renault mentioned nearly half of its gross sales in April had been EVs, in contrast with one in three a 12 months in the past and one in 10 two years in the past.
Views of the EV sections of its web site are up 42% for the reason that warfare within the Middle East started on February 28, in contrast with the period from the beginning of 2026 to that time.
Iran’s continued stranglehold on tankers passing via the Strait of Hormuz means the average price of a litre of petrol and diesel at UK forecourts is 24p and 47p respectively more costly than earlier than the battle began.
Adam Wood, Renault’s UK managing director, advised the Press Association: “We’re seeing a seismic uptick in demand for electric vehicles in the UK.
“The short-term situation is really proving a catalyst to increasing the level of demand that was growing for electric vehicles.
“Customers, understandably, are looking at ways to mitigate the rises in fuel prices and to reduce their exposure to the volatility that we’re seeing in supply and pricing (of fuel).”
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