Drivers could get £138 knocked off their car tax bill thanks to Labour government

Drivers could have £100 knocked off their car tax bill - all thanks to the new Labour Party government. Car specialists and electric vehicle experts have demanded a reduction in EV charging VAT rates to help boost the take-up of zero-emissions vehicles.

Cord, a leading EV charging company, found the average driver would spend an extra £92-£138 a month if they solely relied on public charging. Cord co-founder Paul Tomlinson said: "For these targets to turn into action, we have to make EVs a natural and affordable choice for drivers, not a luxury available to the few.

"The best way to do that is to make sure that as many people as possible can access home charging, which is by far the cheapest way to drive. Off-peak tariffs can make driving cost just £17 a month - around the cost of a premium Netflix subscription.

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"But relying on public charging rockets that up to well over £100." Iain Reid, head of editorial at Carwow explained: "Electrification is the future, and while accelerating the rollout of public charging infrastructure is critical, there are more factors to consider if EVs are to be accessible and appealing at a mass market level."

Thom Groot, CEO of The Electric Car Scheme, added: "If Labour is going to have any chance of fulfilling the laudable, but ambitious, reintroduction of the 2030 ZEV mandate, they need to do three things right away. Extend low BIK rates until 2035 at five per cent.

"Lower the VAT on public charging to five percent to bring it in line with the cost of electricity at home." He went on: "And avoid the temptation to impose tariffs on affordable EVs from outside the UK. They don't do us any favours in terms of reaching Net Zero and don't solve other problems."