A leading expert from former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s think tank has suggested a tax making electric car ownership more expensive.
The senior policy advisor, Jason Browne, claims the new road pricing would prevent the country from experiencing widespread gridlock that’s growing in frequency and help plug the nation’s impending £25billion finance hole from a decrease in fuel tax revenue.
Electric vehicle (EV) drivers are exempt from paying fuel taxes, and the number of EVs on Britain’s roads is growing with the country’s plan to phase out petrol cars to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Browne said: “This [road tax] needs to happen urgently, before too many people buy electric vehicles on the basis that they will not be taxed, making it impossible to introduce it later,” The Daily Telegraph reports.
A previous report from the Tony Blair Institute predicted Britain would experience a 50 percent surge in traffic with more electric vehicles on the road.
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From 2022 to 2023, the treasury received £25.1billion from its fuel duty.
Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, emphasized that new EV taxes must come quickly; otherwise, people will get used to the lower prices associated with the cars and potentially grow angry at any changes, GB News reports.
However, Walker added that neither political party will touch the issue ahead of next year’s election over fears of public pushback.
