Motoring Taxes - Under Discussion Again

[Gareth Harper]

So, it is purely speculation by the press. No proposals and no substance.

[davekeiller]

@Gareth Harper, it seems you're correct. At the moment there is no concrete proposal, and most of this seems to be hot air from the press.
I'm sure that someone in government is considering how best to make up the shortfall when we stop using petrol and diesel cars and hence stop paying road tax (given that zero emissions vehicles are zero rated), and fuel duty (given that such vehicles don't use petrol or diesel fuel). It also seems likely that some kind of road pricing is an idea being considered, although as yet it's an idea that might become a proposal or might get dropped.

[jupe1407]

I doubt this will come to fruition, certainly not in the next few years. I would gently suggest to Mr Sunak that should he wish to recoup some of the costs of COVID-19, he perhaps starts by asking his boss to stop dishing out £millions/billions worth of PPE-related contracts to his pals.

[dav2930]

I doubt this will come to fruition, certainly not in the next few years. I would gently suggest to Mr Sunak that should he wish to recoup some of the costs of COVID-19, he perhaps starts by asking his boss to stop dishing out £millions/billions worth of PPE-related contracts to his pals.

Well said. I hope there's a full-scale and properly independent public enquiry into this scandal, and indeed into other aspects of the government's woeful handling of the pandemic.

[LobeyD]

Worth also remembering that you currently pay about 10-12p a mile in fuel duty anyway. The switch to EVs mean this will be hard to recoup via grid pricing so a sensible per-mile charge would actually be the fairest replacement. Assuming some level of congestion basis to the charging, rural folk could ultimately save money (if you ignore that they get skelped on grid electricity ).

[simon-b]

Worth also remembering that you currently pay about 10-12p a mile in fuel duty anyway. The switch to EVs mean this will be hard to recoup via grid pricing so a sensible per-mile charge would actually be the fairest replacement. Assuming some level of congestion basis to the charging, rural folk could ultimately save money (if you ignore that they get skelped on grid electricity ).

That would only be fair if fuel duty was scrapped at the same time.

[Border Reiver]

I think I'd rather pay extra fuel duty instead of ppm. That would mean those with more economical vehicles would pay less and visitors from overseas would also contribute. I think that might work for now until scientists and politicians can agree on what is needed to power our vehicles. It would be sods law if, after buying an electric car (not if I can help it), developers came up with a diesel or petrol engine that was overall* less polluting than an electric one. Either way, as long as I can afford to get to the hills and dales, I'll be happy enough.
*By overall, I mean in terms of total cost including sourcing materials for batteries, maintenance, disposal/recycling and cost to the environment.

[simon-b]

I think I'd rather pay extra fuel duty instead of ppm. That would mean those with more economical vehicles would pay less and visitors from overseas would also contribute. I think that might work for now until scientists and politicians can agree on what is needed to power our vehicles. It would be sods law if, after buying an electric car (not if I can help it), developers came up with a diesel or petrol engine that was overall* less polluting than an electric one. Either way, as long as I can afford to get to the hills and dales, I'll be happy enough.
*By overall, I mean in terms of total cost including sourcing materials for batteries, maintenance, disposal/recycling and cost to the environment.

I agree with a lot of what you say, here BR. The climate issue is clearly a real one, but there seems to be a lot of environmental false economy going on. Both consumer and environmental groups campaigned for many years to get car manufacturers to rust proof vehicles properly. Now we see new ways the industry is trying to get us to treat cars as disposable items. Both scrappage schemes and short term lease packages have become the new rust. I have family who work in the eco friendly car recycling business, and they say the most environmentally friendly thing a driver can do is keep their car as long as possible.

[MaximusGreatest]

There is a lot hiding in the "up to" bit of "up to 75p per mile" - I think that sort of level would likely only be charged for rush hour travel in city centres. Some rough sums - to replace the entire £28 billion of annual fuel duty with pay-per-mile taxes on the 33 million motorists who average 10,000 miles a year would require an average rate of less than 9p per mile. So maybe £5 for an off-peak 100 mile day trip to the country might be closer to the mark.

This is just one example of a balanced approach that would encourage both local adoption of electric vehicles, and public support for fairer road taxes.