<\/p>\n
Drivers in the south-west of England would pay nearly four times as much as those in London as a result of Labour\u2019s mileage-based tax on electric cars, according to analysis of official data.<\/p>\n
The 3p-a-mile road charge, announced in the autumn budget<\/a> and due to take effect in 2028, is expected to raise \u00a31.1bn a year, partly offsetting the loss of fuel duty revenues as drivers switch from petrol to electric vehicles.<\/p>\n The analysis underscores how heavily rural motorists would be hit compared with their urban counterparts. Critics warn the disparity risks creating another obstacle to electric vehicle uptake<\/a>, just as ministers are trying to accelerate sales.<\/p>\n Drivers in the south-west would be affected most, the research suggested, paying on average \u00a3110.25 a year extra because of the 3p a mile charge, closely followed by the East Midlands, at \u00a3105.09.<\/p>\n People in London would pay just \u00a333.09 a year, despite already having among the highest concentrations of electric vehicles and charging points. The north-east and north-west, the next most affordable regions, would average \u00a382.20 and \u00a383.79.<\/p>\n Thom Groot, chief executive of The Electric Car Scheme, a leasing group which carried out the analysis, said the tax could discourage EV take-up just as the government is trying to transition ownership from \u201cearly adopters to the mass market\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are still a lot of people in the mass market who are very sceptical about EVs<\/a> \u2026 so anything that gives people a reason not to [buy one] creates yet another boundary.\u201d<\/p>\n People living in smaller, rural towns and villages nearer to cities would pay the most on average, at \u00a3156.51 a year. Those in urban areas and cities would pay \u00a376.02.<\/p>\n The research was based on 2024 data from the annual National Travel Survey.<\/p>\n