Key takeaway: From April 2026, VED rates are rising across the board. Electric car owners now pay the standard rate of £190 per year (up from £0 before April 2025), and the expensive car supplement threshold remains at £40,000 list price. If your car cost over £40,000 new, you will pay an additional £410 per year for five years on top of the standard rate.
Car tax (Vehicle Excise Duty, or VED) changes every April, but the April 2026 adjustments are particularly significant because they represent the first full year where electric vehicles are taxed at the same rate as petrol and diesel cars. This guide breaks down exactly what has changed, who pays what, and how to check the tax status of any vehicle for free.
What Changed in April 2025 (Still in Effect)
The biggest structural change to VED in recent years took effect in April 2025, when electric and zero-emission vehicles lost their £0 road tax exemption. Here is a summary of the current system that carries into 2026:
- Zero-emission vehicles (EVs): Now pay the standard rate of £190/year (previously £0).
- Expensive car supplement: Cars with a list price over £40,000 when new pay an additional £410/year for the first five years from the date of first registration. This now includes EVs.
- First-year rates: CO2-based rates still apply in the first year of registration. Zero-emission cars pay £10 in year one, rising to £190 from year two onwards.
April 2026 VED Rates: The Full Picture
VED rates for 2026/27 have been adjusted for inflation (RPI). Here are the key rates:
First-Year Rates (New Registrations Only)
| CO2 Emissions (g/km) | Fuel Type | First Year Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Electric | £10 |
| 1-50 | Hybrid/PHEV | £10 |
| 51-75 | Petrol/Diesel | £30 |
| 76-90 | Petrol/Diesel | £135 |
| 91-100 | Petrol/Diesel | £175 |
| 101-110 | Petrol/Diesel | £195 |
| 111-130 | Petrol/Diesel | £220 |
| 131-150 | Petrol/Diesel | £270 |
| 151-170 | Petrol/Diesel | £680 |
| 171-190 | Petrol/Diesel | £1,095 |
| 191-225 | Petrol/Diesel | £1,650 |
| 226-255 | Petrol/Diesel | £2,340 |
| Over 255 | Petrol/Diesel | £2,745 |
Standard Rate (Year 2 Onwards, Post-April 2017 Cars)
| Vehicle Type | Annual Rate |
|---|---|
| Petrol or diesel | £190 |
| Electric (zero emission) | £190 |
| Alternative fuel (hybrid, bioethanol, LPG) | £180 |
Pre-April 2017 Cars: CO2 Based Rates
Cars registered before 1 April 2017 continue to pay VED based on their CO2 emissions band. These rates have also been adjusted upward slightly for inflation in 2026/27:
| Band | CO2 (g/km) | Petrol/Diesel | Alternative Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to 100 | £0 | £0 |
| B | 101-110 | £20 | £10 |
| C | 111-120 | £30 | £20 |
| D | 121-130 | £135 | £125 |
| E | 131-140 | £165 | £155 |
| F | 141-150 | £180 | £170 |
| G | 151-165 | £230 | £220 |
| H | 166-175 | £275 | £265 |
| I | 176-185 | £310 | £300 |
| J | 186-200 | £350 | £340 |
| K | 201-225 | £385 | £375 |
| L | 226-255 | £625 | £615 |
| M | Over 255 | £665 | £655 |
These older CO2-based bands are often much cheaper for efficient pre-2017 cars. A pre-2017 Toyota Yaris in Band B pays just £20/year, while the same car registered after April 2017 pays £190. This makes pre-2017 efficient models particularly attractive for cost-conscious buyers.
The Expensive Car Supplement Explained
If your car had a list price (including options, before discounts) of more than £40,000 when new, you pay an additional £410 per year on top of the standard rate for the first five years of the car's life. This means:
- Petrol/diesel over £40,000: £190 + £410 = £600/year for five years
- Electric over £40,000: £190 + £410 = £600/year for five years
- Alternative fuel over £40,000: £180 + £410 = £590/year for five years
After five years, the supplement expires and you drop back to the standard rate. This catch applies to many popular EVs, including the Tesla Model 3 Long Range (£49,990 list), BMW i4 (£52,000+), and Mercedes EQA (£49,500+). If you are buying a used EV, check when it was first registered to see if the supplement is still active.
You can check the tax status and band for any car instantly. Enter the registration number in our free tool and you will see the current road tax rate, MOT status, and full running cost breakdown.
How This Affects Electric Car Owners
The shift from £0 to £190 per year is a significant change for EV owners. For a popular model like the Tesla Model 3 (list price over £40,000), the road tax bill has gone from £0 to £600 per year. Over five years, that is £3,000 in road tax that simply did not exist before.
However, EVs still save money on fuel. Charging a typical EV at home on an overnight tariff costs roughly 5p to 8p per mile, compared to 14p to 18p per mile for a petrol car. Over 10,000 miles per year, that is a saving of £600 to £1,300 in fuel costs alone, which offsets the new road tax burden for most drivers.
The real squeeze comes for EV owners who rely on public rapid chargers, where costs can reach 70p to 85p per kWh. At those rates, the cost per mile is comparable to petrol, and the road tax saving no longer provides an advantage.
How This Affects Used Car Buyers
If you are buying a used car, the VED system you fall under depends on when the car was first registered:
- Pre-April 2017: You pay the CO2-based band rate. This is often cheaper for efficient cars (Bands A to C are £0 to £30/year).
- Post-April 2017: You pay the flat £190/year rate regardless of emissions (or £180 for alternative fuel).
- Expensive car supplement: If the car is less than five years old and had a list price over £40,000, you inherit the supplement. Check the registration date to calculate when it expires.
This is why pre-2017 efficient cars remain popular. A 2016 Volkswagen Polo 1.0 in Band B pays £20/year in road tax. A 2018 Polo with the same engine and similar emissions pays £190/year. That is a £170/year difference for effectively the same car.
ULEZ, LEZ and Clean Air Zone Charges
Road tax is not the only government charge to consider. Clean Air Zones (CAZs) are now active in several UK cities:
- London ULEZ: £12.50/day for non-compliant vehicles (pre-Euro 4 petrol, pre-Euro 6 diesel). Covers all of Greater London.
- Birmingham CAZ: £8/day for non-compliant cars.
- Bristol CAZ: £9/day for non-compliant vehicles.
- Bath CAZ: Cars are exempt, but commercial vehicles pay £9/day.
If you live in or regularly drive through any of these zones, you need a Euro 4 petrol (typically 2006+) or Euro 6 diesel (typically 2015+) to avoid daily charges. Electric cars and most hybrids are exempt from all CAZ charges.
How to Check Your Car's Tax Band
The quickest way to check what you will pay is to enter the registration number in our free tool. We pull live data from the DVLA to show you the current tax status, the amount due, and when it expires. You will also see the full running cost breakdown including insurance group, fuel costs, and MOT history.
Alternatively, you can check on the DVLA website at gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax, but you will only see the tax status, not the full cost picture that our tool provides.
The Bottom Line
The April 2026 VED rates represent a continuation of the trend towards equalising tax treatment across all fuel types. Electric cars are no longer tax-free, and the expensive car supplement catches many popular EVs. For cost-conscious buyers, pre-2017 efficient petrol cars in Bands A to C remain the cheapest option for road tax, while the flat £190 rate applies to everything newer.
Whatever car you are considering, check it here for free to see the exact tax band, insurance group, fuel costs, and full annual running cost estimate before you commit.