Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) — commonly known as road tax — changed significantly from April 2026. Whether you drive a petrol, diesel or electric car, here's how the changes affect you.
Standard Rate Increase
The standard annual VED rate for most cars registered after April 2017 has risen to £200 per year for 2026/27, up from the previous rate. This applies to both combustion engine and electric vehicles from their second year of registration onwards.
First-Year Rates
First-year VED is based on CO2 emissions and can range from £10 for the cleanest cars up to £5,690 for the highest-emitting vehicles. New electric vehicles pay just £10 in their first year.
Electric Vehicles Now Pay Road Tax
Since April 2025, electric vehicles are no longer exempt from road tax. For 2026/27, new EVs pay £10 in year one, then £200 per year from year two. Existing EVs registered between April 2017 and March 2025 pay the full £200 standard rate.
Luxury Car Supplement
Cars with a list price over £40,000 pay an additional supplement of £440 per year for five years (years 2–6). For zero-emission vehicles, the threshold has been raised to £50,000 to soften the impact on EV buyers.
What's Coming in 2028: Pay-Per-Mile
The government has announced that from April 2028, a new pay-per-mile system called eVED will be introduced for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Electric car drivers will pay 3p per mile, while plug-in hybrid drivers will pay 1.5p per mile.
Check Your Car's Tax Status
You can check any car's tax status for free with MOTChecker. We show real-time tax status, expiry dates and the annual rate for your specific vehicle, so you always know exactly what you're paying and when it's due.