Budget rumours - Government planning 3p per mile EV charge: comment

“Introducing a new tax on EVs while trying to encourage drivers to make the switch to electric could send them the wrong message, with the Government risking a repeat of the chopping and changing of EV policies that we saw under the previous administration.
 
“However, while this tax could cause confusion and put drivers off, the economic argument for making the move to electric driving would remain strong were it to be introduced. Even with a 3p per mile charge, our analysis [2] shows that EVs would remain significantly cheaper to run than petrol cars, delivering ownership savings of over £1000 a year. 

“Longer-term, it would be expected that all road users make a contribution. But having already increased the Vehicle Excise Duty on EVs, and given in to industry lobbying by weakening its EV sales targets, the Government risks sending mixed signals and undermining consumer confidence by trying to encourage drivers into EVs with one policy, and possibly putting them off with another. The net result could be to keep people stuck in dirtier and more expensive petrol cars for longer.”