Even EVs aren’t safe from road tax (Picture: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

As part of the 2022 Autumn Statement, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced that as of 2025, electric vehicles (EVs) will have to pay road tax.

Mr Hunt told The Commons that because the shift to EVs is continuing at pace, road tax will be introduced so that all motorists begin to pay a fair share.

But who has to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) – also known as road tax – and how much does it cost?

Here’s all you need to know.

Who has to pay road tax?

Most car owners need to pay road tax as it is a legal requirement, just like getting car insurance.

You must pay the tax if your car is registered in the UK and is used on public road.

Other vehicles like vans and motorhomes also have to pay road tax.

Road tax is a legal requirement (Picture: Getty)

The tax pays for the upkeep of UK roads, and is enforced by the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

All vehicles used or kept on the road must be taxed – including those that don’t pay a fee to tax.

There are a number of exemptions to the tax, which are as follows:

Vehicles registered as off the road Electric Vehicles (until the rules are changed in 2025)‘Historic vehicles’ – vehicles that are over 40 years old

Do cyclists pay road tax?

Cyclists are not currently required to pay road tax.

However, many drivers have argued that they should pay the tax as they also use the roads – and so benefit from the upkeep.

Bikes are exempt from road tax (Picture: Getty)

Do E-scooters and E-bikes pay road tax?

No, both electric bikes and scooters don’t have to pay any kind of road tax.

This is because they’re not seen as motor vehicles.

How much is road tax?

Road tax varies from as little as £10 to upwards of £2,000 – the amount you need to pay depends on how old your car is and how much CO2 it produces.

It also depends on when your car was registered.

If your car was registered on or after April 1, 2020, it will be taxed on the car’s official CO2 emissions, with a higher rate if the car doesn’t meet the Real Driving Emissions 2 (RDE2) standard.

If it was registered on or after April 12017, only the first-year rate is based on CO2 emissions.

If it was registered between March 1, 2001 and April 1, 2017 it is taxed on the car’s official CO2 emissions.

And if it was registered before March 1, 2001, it is taxed on engine size.

The different rates are known as car tax bands, road tax bands or VED bands.

The government website has a full breakdown of costs for different cars.

You can also use Car Tax Check’s handy free tool to find out how much you need to pay – all you need to input is your number plate.

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Find out whether you’re exempt from paying road tax.