Do electric cars pay road tax?
Road tax changed in 2025. Electric cars are no longer free, and an expensive-car supplement applies to more expensive models. This gets your annual figure right.
Why your road tax might be higher than you think
Since 1 April 2025 almost every car pays the same standard rate, £200 a year, whatever the fuel. Electric cars lost their exemption, so a new EV pays a token £10 in the first year and then the standard rate after that.
The part that surprises people is the expensive-car supplement. If a car's list price when new was above the threshold, it pays an extra £440 a year on top of the standard rate, in years two to six. For petrol, diesel and hybrid cars that threshold is £40,000. For zero-emission cars registered from 1 April 2026 it is £50,000, so a new EV has a little more headroom before the supplement bites.
Worked example
A new £55,000 electric car registered from April 2026 is over the £50,000 EV threshold, so it pays the £200 standard rate plus the £440 supplement, £640 a year in years two to six. The same car at £48,000 would stay under the threshold and pay only £200.
Common questions
Do electric cars pay road tax now?
Yes. The exemption ended on 1 April 2025. Electric cars now pay a token £10 in the first year, then the standard £200 a year, the same as other cars. If the list price is high enough they also pay the expensive-car supplement.
What is the £40,000 car tax (expensive-car supplement)?
If a car had a list price above the threshold when new, it pays an extra £440 a year on top of the standard rate, in years two to six. The threshold is £40,000 for petrol, diesel and hybrid cars, and £50,000 for zero-emission cars registered from 1 April 2026.
How much is road tax a year?
The standard rate is £200 a year. A car over the expensive-car threshold pays £200 plus a £440 supplement, so £640 a year in years two to six. This example (electric, £55,000) works out at £640.