3p a mile EV charge: campaigners urge Andy Burnham to swap it for a £200 flat fee

Campaigners are using a Parliament petition to urge Andy Burnham to scrap the 3p a mile charge on electric cars that Rachel Reeves confirmed as Chancellor, and to bring in a flat £200 a year fee instead. The pay-per-mile charge is called electric Vehicle Excise Duty, or eVED, and is due to start in 2028. The Daily Express reports that the average road user travelling 10,000 miles a year would be expected to pay £300 a year.

The Express says the charge was one of Ms Reeves' last major policy decisions as Chancellor, and that motorists and EV experts have attacked it. Many drivers moved to electric expecting cheaper running costs, so being billed for every mile has gone down badly.

Campaigners point to Mr Burnham's record in his previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, where he was involved in scaling back Clean Air Zone rules. They want him to step in and push for a similar U-turn on the mileage charge.

How the 3p a mile charge would work

Under the scheme Ms Reeves confirmed, electric cars would pay 3p for every mile driven on the roads from 2028. This is not a fixed yearly tax. The bill would go up or down with how far each driver travels, so people with long commutes or regular family visits would pay more than people who rarely use the car.

HM Revenue and Customs has admitted that the charge is critical to making up for lost fuel duty. HMRC said all vehicles add to congestion and wear and tear on the roads. It said petrol and diesel drivers pay their share through fuel duty at the pump, but electric car drivers do not currently pay anything equivalent.

HMRC added that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects fuel duty receipts to fall as more people switch to electric cars. It said eVED is meant to help replace that lost money over the long term. As with fuel duty, what each motorist pays would depend on how much they drive.

Who would pay and what the petition wants instead

The charge is aimed at electric car owners. The petition also mentions a 1.5p per mile charge on hybrids and wants that scrapped too. The Express report does not say which hybrids would be covered or whether anyone would be exempt.

The petition's alternative is a flat £200 a year in Vehicle Excise Duty for every driver, with no extra charges however far they drive. The petitioners say EV owners already pay a flat £200 a year in VED. In their view, adding a mileage charge on top means taxing people twice for using the road.

The petition also calls pay per mile a tax on freedom, on holidays, on driving abroad, on getting to work and on visiting the shop. It warns that the charge could put people off switching to electric, which would clash with the country's net zero targets. It also says EV owners could cut back on leisure trips, which would hurt businesses outside cities.

Key numbers

• 3p: The charge per mile for electric cars under the eVED scheme Rachel Reeves confirmed.
• 2028: The year the pay-per-mile charge is due to start.
• £300: What the Express says the average road user travelling 10,000 miles a year would pay.
• £200: The flat yearly fee campaigners want instead. They say EV owners already pay this in VED.
• 1.5p: The per-mile charge on hybrids that the petition also wants scrapped.
• 100,000: The number of signatures the petition needs before Parliament will consider it for debate.

What happens next with the petition

Nothing has changed yet. The pay-per-mile charge is still due to start in 2028, and a petition cannot overturn government policy by itself. At 10,000 signatures the Government must give an official response. At 100,000 signatures the petition will be considered for a debate.

According to the Express, the petition runs until the middle of February, so there is still time for it to pass both targets. The Express report does not include any reply from Mr Burnham or the Government.

What you can do now

If you own an electric car or are thinking of buying one, keep a record of roughly how many miles you drive each year. The charge will be based on distance, so knowing your own mileage will help you work out what eVED could cost your household once the full details are confirmed.

If you want to sign the petition, search for the pay per mile EV tax on the UK Parliament petitions website. You can also write to your MP and explain how a mileage charge would affect you, for example if you have a long commute, regular hospital appointments or family who live far away.

Hybrid owners should wait for official confirmation of which vehicles will be covered. The 1.5p figure comes from the petition, and the reporting so far does not give the full rules. Check GOV.UK for official announcements before you make any decision about changing your car.

Your questions answered

When does the pay-per-mile charge start?

The Daily Express reports that electric cars are due to be charged 3p per mile from 2028. Until then nothing changes for drivers.

Will I still pay road tax on top of the mileage charge?

The petitioners say EV owners already pay a flat £200 a year in VED and that the new charge would mean being taxed twice for using the road. The reporting does not confirm exactly how the two charges will work together, so look out for official details.

Can the petition get the charge scrapped?

Not by itself. At 10,000 signatures the Government must respond, and at 100,000 the petition will be considered for a debate. Neither step guarantees that the policy will change.