Budget - Good News and Stupid News26 Nov 2025 15:39
First the good news:
• The Government is increasing the threshold at which motorists with new EVs have to pay the VED Expensive Car Supplement, effective from 1 April 2026. The Supplement currently applies to vehicles costing £40,000 or more; this will be increased to £50,000. Auto Trader claims the changes mean that the Supplement will now apply to just 43% of new EVs, down from 63%.
• Reeves further confirmed an additional £1.3bn of funding for the Electric Car Grant, taking total Government backing for the scheme to £2bn and extending its duration to 2030. The Grant provides buyers with up to £3,750 off the upfront cost of a new car.
• Elsewhere, £200m of additional Government funding has been pledged to rolling out EV charging infrastructure, and a 100% business rates relief for EV charger installations has been confirmed.
Now the stupid news:
• EV drivers will be charged 3p per mile, which they will need to pay annually alongside their regular vehicle excise duty (VED). A lower rate of 1.5p per mile for plug-in hybrids will also be introduced.
• Auto Trader’s chief commercial officer Ian Plummer was among those questioning the intention of the EV policy changes as a whole. He said: “The Chancellor is driving with the handbrake on. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that there will be 440,000 fewer electric cars on the road thanks to the introduction of pay-per-mile charging from 2028. This sends completely the wrong signal completely, as only 130,000 of these sales are offset by moves to make EVs more affordable.”