This article in the Guardian discusses the imminent loss of nearly £30 billion as the adoption of fully electric vehicles becomes the main vehicle used by, well, everyone. For context, full EVs currently pay no road tax – this is a Government incentive to drive us to zero net emissions by 2050. And yet surely the Government will need to recoup these losses somehow to cover the cost of fixing potholes, resurfacing our roadways, and improving parking facilities.
The article suggests two different possibilities. 1) Tax the user based on the roads used and time of day that they travel (ie busier roads at busier times would cost more), or 2) tax the user on the amount of mileage they do (presumably over a year-long period, but this isn’t specified). Put another way, the more miles you do, the more you’ll pay.
Of the two proposals, I would favour the second option, purely because I am a low-mileage driver. Obviously high milers who drive off peak on smaller roads would favour the first. The Government will need to set out a long-term plan to ensure we’re all onboard. However, the rate at which this Government is making decisions, it could be a while before anything concrete is delivered…
