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Do electric cars pay road tax?
Yes. Since 1 April 2025, electric cars pay vehicle tax (VED). A new electric car pays £10 for its first year and then the standard rate, which is £200 in 2026/27. If its list price is over £50,000, it also pays the expensive car supplement of £440 a year for five years.
New electric cars
Electric cars registered from 1 April 2025 pay the lowest first-year rate (£10), then the standard annual rate. The standard rate is £200 in 2026/27 and usually rises with inflation each April.
The expensive car supplement
Cars with a list price over the threshold pay an extra £440 a year (2026/27) for five years, starting from the second year of registration. For zero-emission cars the threshold is £50,000 from April 2026, compared with £40,000 for petrol and diesel cars. The threshold uses the list price, including options, not the price you negotiate, so discounts do not bring a car below it.
Older electric cars
Electric cars registered from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2025 moved onto the standard rate from April 2025. Those registered between March 2001 and March 2017 pay a lower rate under the older CO2-based bands. Check the GOV.UK rate tables for your car's registration date.
Pay-per-mile from 2028
From 1 April 2028, electric cars will also pay Electric Vehicle Excise Duty of 3p a mile (1.5p for plug-in hybrids), on top of VED. See eVED explained.
You still have to tax the car
Even where the amount due is low, you must tax the car, and it must be taxed before it is used on the road.
Frequently asked questions
Do electric cars pay road tax?
Yes. Since 1 April 2025 electric cars pay VED: £10 in the first year for new cars, then the standard rate of £200 a year in 2026/27.
How much is road tax (VED) for an electric car?
£10 for the first year, then £200 a year in 2026/27. Cars with a list price over £50,000 also pay £440 a year for five years from their second year.
What is the expensive car supplement for electric cars?
An extra £440 a year (2026/27) for five years, from the second year of registration, for cars with a list price over the threshold. For zero-emission cars the threshold is £50,000 from April 2026.
Does a discount bring my car under the £50,000 threshold?
No. The threshold is based on the list price including options, not the price you pay after discounts.
Official sources
- GOV.UK: Vehicle tax rate tables
- House of Commons Library: Electric vehicle excise duty (eVED) briefing
- GOV.UK / HM Treasury: Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) policy paper, 13 July 2026
Related
- Electric Car Grant and EV tax in the UK
- Pay-per-mile tax for electric cars (eVED) explained
- The London Congestion Charge for electric cars
- Cheapest electric cars in the UK
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Page reviewed 2026-09-23. See how we check and our sources. General information, not financial, legal or technical advice.