Pay per mile. Another blow for EV drivers

[PeterHR2]

As many know, I travel the EU, 1000s of miles a year. It is unlawful to apply double taxation, so the 3p/m cannot be applied to my foreign mileage.

Sadly, double taxation is not unlawful (in the UK). My two-person company 'profits' are taxed and then we take a company dividend from those 'profits', which is also then taxed. And there are other instances of double taxation. But there are appropriate reliefs to 'ease the burden' in some areas of double taxation.

 

[dicky ticker Dave]

Public transport is fine but what about people with disabilities. Public transportation is great in major cities but where I live on the outskirts of Nottingham for me to go to the bank I have to catch a bus then a tram. Weekly shop is a bus ride each way.

 

[JonboyMG3Hybrid]

Not sure where £930 odd came from for fuel duty on ICE cars...

1. Current UK Fuel Duty Rate: The current fuel duty rate for unleaded petrol in the UK is 52.95 pence per litre (ppl), a rate that has been frozen until at least March 2026.
2. Conversion: A UK (Imperial) gallon is approximately 4.54609 litres.
   • 320 gallons * 4.54609 litres/gallon ≈ 1454.75 litres.
3. Total Fuel Duty:
   • 1454.75 litres * 52.95 pence/litre ≈ 77,026 pence
   • 77,026 pence = £770.26.
     
     Still a bit more than EV, but factor in time wasted at EV stations (if not charging at home) and any costs like buying coffee etc, and it soon turns the other way.
     
     We have four cars, one a self charging hybrid MG3, and three ICE cars, one diesel and two petrol, they will be going nowhere, we will not be buying an EV, and will be saving to replace two of the ICE cars in the months before it becomes EV only, I do not have time to waste at charging stations either here in the UK or in Europe, five minutes to stop fill up, buy a baguette (in Europe) and pay and go.... thats about right.
     
     Not only that, That creature is also rumoured to want to charge us for the privilege of driving in EUROPE, no, that aint gonna happen, she can swivel on that, and I am sure the Europeans will not want that either, and will likely make it difficult for that to ever happen.. And if it does, then we MUST then charge ALL drivers without a UK registration to drive here.... but will she do that, doubt it, as that will be harder still.
     
     ​

 

[Gadget Geek]

Surely a self charging car will have no running costs.

 

[MG Clive]

Surely a self charging car will have no running costs.

You'd hope so.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

Surely a self charging car will have no running costs.

Apart from hiring ex SAS members to protect you from the oil and energy companies. Like David Niven and his white suit. You could offset those expenses from copyright incomes.

 

[GaryMG4]

Not sure where £930 odd came from for fuel duty on ICE cars...

Probably the 20% VAT that you pay on the fuel duty.

 

[JonboyMG3Hybrid]

Surely a self charging car will have no running costs.

I see STUPID is alive and kicking !

 

[JonboyMG3Hybrid]

Probably the 20% VAT that you pay on the fuel duty.

Which is paid for on everything, as far as I, and millions of others are concerned the sooner EV owners pay the same as ICE cars the better, why some feel they should have a right to not pay for the proper use of roads or pay the same in taxes as others is beyond me. But as soon as they do, which is looking likely after this budget, EV sales will go into freefall... and that will not help anyone, let alone the government and their stupid sales requirements.

 

[Everest]

I do not have time to waste at charging stations either here in the UK or in Europe, five minutes to stop fill up, buy a baguette (in Europe) and pay and go.... thats about right.

I pity you if your life is that rushed.

 

[salty]

Why would any motorist want to pay more than they actually have to. It was the Government who introduced the rules for EVs. Like free road tax, which we now pay. Now they've cottoned on to fuel duty.
Which hopefully won't, but probably will be introduced. I and everyone else pay what we have to pay, and no more. If driving an EV comes with a few small perks, that's great. As for EVs going into freefall, they won't.

 

[JonboyMG3Hybrid]

I pity you if your life is that rushed.

I pity you that you waste so much of your life sitting waiting for a car to charge up with electricity... as for rushed, not at all, I just like to get to my destination so I can spend more quality time with those that I want to spend time with, rather than wasting it every couple of hundred miles for 45 minutes or however long it takes GENUINELY....

 

[JonboyMG3Hybrid]

Why would any motorist want to pay more than they actually have to. It was the Government who introduced the rules for EVs. Like free road tax, which we now pay. Now they've cottoned on to fuel duty.
Which hopefully won't, but probably will be introduced. I and everyone else pay what we have to pay, and no more. If driving an EV comes with a few small perks, that's great. As for EVs going into freefall, they won't.

If you say so, then I suppose all those car companies that are cancelling all the EV's and going BACK to ICE, and pleading for the government to not introduce extra taxes for EV's are all made up....

Plus I never said anyone wanted to pay more, I stated clearly that those that pay more now, want EV drivers to pay the same, and not be given a free pass as they have been for the last few years. That clearly did not work, virtually NO mainline car companies achieved their EV targets in 2024, and they will not again in 2025, and with these extra charges, why would someone pay around £10k more for the same car when you are not getting those incentives anymore, when they can have an ICE car for significantly less, especially as residuales are falling through the floor because of huge discounts.. And thats not just me saying it, but the brands themselves. They are all saying EV's are not selling anywhere near where they were expected to be... and more taxes for EV drivers is likely to curtail EV sales further. Again, as mentioned by brands...

 

[Gadget Geek]

I see STUPID is alive and kicking !

Yep, some stupid people fall for that advertising nonsense, not realising that perpetual motion machines defy the laws of thermodynamics.

 

[EVsince2016]

I do not have time to waste at charging stations either here in the UK or in Europe, five minutes to stop fill up, buy a baguette (in Europe) and pay and go.... thats about right.

Funny, but as someone has done long haul EU driving for 39 years in a variety of petrol, diesel & EVs, I have to disagree.

To comply with the law, my health, my families sanity, and my own safety, driving breaks are required. All the long haul non-stop drivers I know have all sorts of health issues.

I can drive 25% further in a day safely in an EV than I could in an ICE car, which required multi drivers to do the distance.

Also, the term waste is not true. The time & diversion required for me to use a fuel pump were always far in excess of 5 mins, reality versus fantasy, ignoring the fact too that home charging is 5 seconds and 95% of the time and en-route charging is the same as you don't need to hold onto a pacifier whilst charging. You can do something better with tour time.

 

[NikLiverpool]

I pity you that you waste so much of your life sitting waiting for a car to charge up with electricity... as for rushed, not at all, I just like to get to my destination so I can spend more quality time with those that I want to spend time with, rather than wasting it every couple of hundred miles for 45 minutes or however long it takes GENUINELY....

I have owned my Model 3 for the last 6 years and about to replace with the IM6.
During these 6 years I have done 90,000 miles.
95% of my charging was done at home; while I am sleeping.
From May till end of September thanks to my solars and batteries I pay 0£ for fuel.
This summer this 0£ extended to my wifes car too since she is now an EV owner too.
The rest of the year I pay around £6 pounds per week thanks to cheap overnight charging; again while I am sleeping.
Whenever I travelled I had to stop every 200-250 miles for charging. Never even this took more than 30 minutes. Usually (and Tesla is quite good at this) you charge to the optimum that will ensure the least possible time spend on charging.
200-250 miles is anywhere between 3 to 4 hours of continuous travelling. I would be physically straining myself to drive longer than this. Never mind the safety implications.
I remember when I had my diesel and I drove once for 8 consecutive hours...Next day I was lying in bed pretty much all day.

I do apologise but your points are wrong.

 

[JonboyMG3Hybrid]

I have owned my Model 3 for the last 6 years and about to replace with the IM6.
During these 6 years I have done 90,000 miles.
95% of my charging was done at home; while I am sleeping.
From May till end of September thanks to my solars and batteries I pay 0£ for fuel.
The rest of the year I pay around £6 pounds per week thanks to cheap overnight charging; again while I am sleeping.
Whenever I travelled I had to stop every 200-250 miles for charging. Never even this took more than 30 minutes. Usually (and Tesla is quite good at this) you charge to the optimum that will ensure the least possible time spend on charging.
200-250 miles is anywhere between 3 to 4 hours of continuous travelling. I would be physically straining myself to drive longer than this. Never mind the safety implications.
I remember when I had my diesel and I drove once for 8 consecutive hours...Next day I was lying in bed pretty much all day.

I do apologise but your points are wrong.

No they are not, yours are, you say you pay ZERO, well, thats a blatant lie, how many tens of thousands have you paid for those solar panels and batteries, and yes I do know how much they cost as we have a full roof installed with max battery allowable, so you are not including that into your costs.

I am so sorry you are not physically capable of driving your car for any length of time, and having one of those USA hideous things, and thats my opinion which I am entitled, is fair enough, but now you work the figures for a similar ICE car along with residuals, your solar panels and battery costs.

And lastly do not say I am wrong, when my post clearly mentions that brands like Polestar, Volvo, Ford, Stellantis and more have ALL stated the same things, even Volvo came out and admitted that EV's are not thats NOT as good as ICE cars, yet, and they cover all costs, as well as environmental, which an EV is not that environmentally friendly, and anyone that says that they are is in their own dream land, and I suppose the batteries are made from fairy dust and not minerals etc that need to be dug up and carted all over the globe before being made into relevant metals for use, carted around the world again, made into batteries and yes you guessed it carted around the globe yet again.... If you think by saying I am wrong, you are right, then, you have my sympathies for living in a world of your own.

 

[Everest]

IMHO a 5 mins break every 200+ miles (so that's about 3 to 4 hours depending on traffic) is not a safe strategy for you to reach those that you want to spend quality time with. That's why commercial drivers are regulated to take a break of at least 45 mins per 4.5 hours driving time. But hey, ho, each to their own.

 

[Gadget Geek]

I think everyone else who owns an EV thinks you are wrong.

 

[Everest]

No they are not, yours are, you say you pay ZERO, well, thats a blatant lie, how many tens of thousands have you paid for those solar panels and batteries, and yes I do know how much they cost as we have a full roof installed with max battery allowable, so you are not including that into your costs.

I disagree.

We are in a similar situation to that of @NikLiverpool. We have a sizeable solar and battery system which has a payback period of sub four years for house energy usage, excluding EV, which we didn't have at the time of the solar installations.

We got our first EV in March and until about 2 weeks ago have charged it fully from solar at zero cost.