UK electric car drivers should be charged per mile, say campaigners
Campaigners have called on the chancellor to introduce a controversial pay-per-mile road charging scheme on electric cars, warning of a £5bn “black hole” in tax revenues from motoring.
In a letter to Rachel Reeves, the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) urged her to reform vehicle taxes, with fuel duty poised to dwindle in the coming decade as petrol and diesel cars are phased out.
The charity said it was an “urgent issue” as tax revenues were forecast to fall by £5bn between 2028 and 2033, and the public agreed that all vehicles should pay a fair share.
Silviya Barrett of CBT said: “The new chancellor faces a looming black hole. She can avoid it, in a way which is fair, and which garners broad public support. But she should start now, as this issue will only get more pressing.”
CBT said the easiest first step would be to levy a small pay-per-mile charge on zero-emission vehicles, with a transition period exempting existing drivers.
