Labour urged to delay pay-per-mile taxes as EVs become more expensive than petrol cars under current plans

Labour has come under scrutiny for its growing barriers to the UK's electric vehicle transition, with the Government being warned that it needs to "work for every driver", or risk millions being left behind.

Electric Vehicle Association England (EVA England) is due to present a major policy paper to Parliament today, which lays out key obstacles impacting drivers' decisions to go electric.

The paper argued that the switch to electric cars will fail unless ministers tackle the high cost of public charging and improve access for lower-income households, renters and people without driveways, with the addition of pay-per-mile taxes creating further problems.

It warned that the benefits of electric vehicles are currently being enjoyed mainly by wealthier households with home charging and the ability to buy newer cars, while many others face significantly higher costs.

Dr Vicky Edmonds, chief executive of EVA England, said ministers must act quickly to make the transition fairer.

She added: "Ministers need to cut the cost of public charging, build confidence in second-hand EVs, and remove the practical barriers facing renters, lower-income households and people without driveways.

"The success of the EV transition and our net zero ambitions depends on ordinary drivers. Policy has to work for them."

The report highlighted growing frustration among motorists who rely on public charging infrastructure rather than charging at home.

It set out three main recommendations for the Government to improve access to electric vehicles, including a UK social leasing scheme aimed at helping lower and middle-income households afford EVs.

Ministers have also been urged to support the estimated 40 per cent of households without off-street parking by reducing energy costs for charge point operators and equalising VAT rates between home and public charging.

In addition, EVA England has called for any proposed pay-per-mile road pricing scheme for electric vehicles to be delayed until at least 2030, from 2028, with electric car owners charged 3p per mile, and hybrids paying 1.5p.

Pay-per-mile taxes were announced at the Autumn Budget last year by Rachel Reeves in a move which would help claw back revenue from fuel duty losses.

The survey found that three-quarters of drivers said the cost of public charging was the biggest barrier to switching to an electric vehicle.

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Nearly six out of 10 respondents said public charging should cost less than 45p per kilowatt hour, much closer to the rates paid by drivers charging at home.

Drivers with home chargers can pay as little as 7p per kilowatt hour on off-peak tariffs, while the average residential public charger costs 54p and rapid chargers can cost up to 79p.

The report detailed how half of drivers without access to private charging said they now pay more to run an electric vehicle than they did for a petrol or diesel car.

Three-quarters of motorists prioritise location when choosing a charge point, 60 per cent also consider price, with a third saying they travel further to find cheaper charging.

The organisation has also demanded an independent regulator for the charging industry and stronger rights for renters and leaseholders to request charge point installations.

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and chief operating officer of Zapmap, said: "We now need to prepare for the next five million EV drivers, an increasing number of whom will be entirely reliant on public charging."

Ian Plummer, chief customer officer at Autotrader, warned that without action, "there's a real risk that certain groups of people are going to be left behind as we transition to a cleaner, and often cheaper, version of car ownership".