Electric Car (EV) “3p Per-Mile” Tax Calculator

The UK government has announced a new per-mile car tax for EVs and plug-in hybrids from 2028. This calculator estimates what you could pay based on your mileage, and can also include an optional road tax (VED) estimate.

Vehicle type

Mileage input

Estimated miles driven

Days driven per week (optional)

Registration year (optional)

Total (annual)

—

Mileage charge (annual)

—

Road tax (VED) in 2028 (annual)

—

Total (monthly)

—

Cost per day driven

—

Road Tax

—

Notes:

“VED in 2028” uses the rules shown on GOV.UK for electric/low emission vehicles and the CO₂-band table for 2001–2017 cars.
If you leave registration year blank, VED is not added.
Expensive car supplement isn’t included (list price threshold rules can change).
Information correct as of January 2025. For more information, visit the government website.

Common mileages

Not sure what to enter? Pick a common driving pattern and to get a quick estimate.

Low mileage - 4,000 miles/year
Typical driver - 8,000 miles/year
Commuter - 12,000 miles/year
High mileage - 20,000 miles/year

Tip: if you know your commute, you can estimate yearly miles as distance × trips per week × 52.

Comparison with fuel tax per mile

	Petrol	Diesel	Hybrid	EV
Price per litre	154.2p	186.5p	154.2p	—
Fuel duty	52.95p	52.95p	52.95p	—
VAT (20%)	25.70p	31.08p	25.70p	—
Total fuel tax	78.65p	84.03p	78.65p	—
Total fuel tax (%)	51.0%	45.1%	51.0%	—
Avg. consumption	36 MPG	43 MPG	55 MPG	—
Fuel cost per mile	19.47p	19.72p	12.75p	—
Fuel Tax per mile	9.93p	8.88p	6.50p	—
EV per mile tax	0.0p	0.0p	1.5p	3.0p
Total per mile tax	9.93p	8.88p	8.00p	3.0p

Sources:
- Last updated - 29 Apr 2026.
- Fuel price data: Tesco via CMA Open Data.
- Duty rate: HMRC (52.95p/litre until Aug 2026).
- MPG data: NimbleFins real-world data (petrol 36, diesel 43, hybrid 55). - Tax on EV fuel cost not included.

FAQs

What does this calculator estimate?

It estimates your potential annual and monthly cost under a per-mile charging approach using your mileage and vehicle type (EV or plug-in hybrid). If you add a registration year, it can also include an estimated annual VED (road tax).

What rates does the calculator use?

It uses 3p per mile for fully electric vehicles and 1.5p per mile for plug-in hybrids, based on the assumptions shown on this page.

Does this replace fuel duty, VED, or both?

This calculator treats the per-mile charge as an additional running-cost estimate. Policy could evolve in different ways, so use the results as a guide rather than a guaranteed bill.

Why is EV priced differently to plug-in hybrid?

A simple way to think about it: a plug-in hybrid can still use petrol for a portion of miles, while a full EV does not. Different rates can be used to reflect that difference.

What if I don’t know my mileage?

Use the presets above, or estimate from your weekly routine. For example, a 10-mile each-way commute, 5 days a week is roughly 10 × 2 × 5 × 52 = 5,200 miles/year before weekend trips.

How accurate is the VED (road tax) estimate?

It’s an estimate based on the registration year you enter and common VED rules. Some vehicles can have additional considerations (e.g., list-price supplements or special cases), so treat it as a helpful baseline.

Can the rates change before 2028?

Yes. Any future scheme can be updated by government over time. This page is designed to be transparent about the assumptions it uses so you can quickly adjust them if needed.

Who is likely to feel this most?

Per-mile charging tends to scale with mileage. Drivers who do a lot of miles (commuters, long-distance travel, business users) will typically see a larger impact than low-mileage drivers.

Why a per-mile charge is being introduced

Fuel duty is tied to petrol and diesel

As more drivers move to electric, the tax system has to adapt. A per-mile approach is one way to link contributions to road use rather than fuel consumption.

It scales with how much you drive

Flat fees can feel unfair to low-mileage drivers. Mileage-based charging tends to increase costs for high-mileage users and reduce the relative burden on low-mileage drivers.

Rates and rules can change

Any future scheme may evolve (rates, exemptions, caps, regional variations). This tool is best used for planning and scenario testing rather than exact forecasting.

Use this page for “what-if” planning: try your current mileage, then test what happens if you drive 10–20% less, change vehicle type, or update registration year.

Mileage cost comparison: EV vs hybrid vs petrol vs diesel

This table is designed to help you sense-check how the proposed per-mile charge compares with typical petrol/diesel fuel spend. It uses “low / typical / commuter / high” mileage bands and shows estimated annual cost by engine type.

Assumptions used for the estimates:
• EV per-mile charge: 3p/mile (your model)
• Plug-in hybrid per-mile charge: 1.5p/mile (your model)
• Petrol fuel cost: based on 133.43p/litre and 36 mpg average petrol efficiency
• Diesel fuel cost: based on 142.63p/litre and 43 mpg average diesel efficiency
• Hybrid fuel efficiency (for the “Hybrid” column): 59 mpg (used as a rough “average hybrid” fuel figure) + the 1.5p/mile per-mile charge

Sources: UK weekly road fuel prices (week commencing 12 January 2026) and mpg guidance for average fuel economy figures. Fuel prices (GOV.UK), Average mpg figures

Mileage band	EV 3p/mile charge	Hybrid (plug-in) 1.5p/mile + avg hybrid fuel	Petrol avg car fuel estimate	Diesel avg car fuel estimate
Low mileage 4,000 miles/year	£120	£471	£674	£603
Typical driver 8,000 miles/year	£240	£942	£1,348	£1,206
Commuter 12,000 miles/year	£360	£1,414	£2,022	£1,810
High mileage 20,000 miles/year	£600	£2,356	£3,370	£3,016

Important: petrol/diesel figures are fuel-only estimates and don’t include servicing, insurance, VED/road tax, or any future policy changes. Hybrid costs vary massively depending on how often you plug in — this “hybrid” column is a rough average to support comparison.