The only road tax exempt cars after April 2017
- Gareth Herincx
- @garethherincx
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From April 2017 a new tax regime will be introduced. Under the system, road tax (also known as car tax, Vehicle Excise Duty or VED) rates will now be based on vehicle emissions AND list price.
Applying to all new cars registered on or after April 1, 2017, many previously tax exempt cars will now have to pay up. The only vehicles that will be free to tax will be zero emission cars that cost less than £40,000.
Bizarrely, buyers of economical small cars and hybrids will face the biggest tax hike – in some cases, more than nine times what they’re paying now.
Read on to find out the only cars that will be road tax exempt cars from April 2017…
Renault ZOE
The ZOE looks cute, represents great value and is fun to drive, and it’s now offered with a choice of two batteries – the new Z.E.40 battery and the existing 22kW battery. The latest version has a range of up to 250 miles miles and it can be fully charged from home between 4-8 hours (depending on the battery). Priced from £13,995, it remains free to tax because it’s a zero emission car.
Volkswagen e-up!
The first fully electric car from VW – and a quality choice. Perhaps not as much fun to drive as the standard car, but it does the job, looks good and has a great name. It has a range of up to 93 miles on a single charge which takes nine hours from a household three-pin socket – considerably less if a fast charger is used. Priced from £25,280, it’s road tax exempt.
Peugeot iOn
Almost identical to the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Citroen C-ZERO, Peugeot’s electric city car can also seat four adults and squeeze in to the smallest of spaces. It can manage 93 miles after a seven-hour charge from home, while a rapid charger will give it 80% of battery power in 30 minutes. Priced from £15,995, owners will pay nothing in road tax under the new Vehicle Excise Duty rules from April 2017.
Renault Twizy
Renault’s unique electric two-seater (you sit tandem-style) has a range of up to 56 miles, a top speed of 50mph and a 3.5-hour charging time. It’s a quirky choice for the city as long as it doesn’t rain. Sir Stirling Moss runs one in central London, so it must be good. Priced from £6,690, it remains VED free after April 2017.
Kia Soul EV
The only 100% electric crossover, Kia’s quirky five-door, five-seater has an official range of 132 miles. Charging takes seven hours from home, but 80% can be achieved in 30 minutes using a fast charger. Priced from £25,495, it will still cost nothing to tax after April 2017.
Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
Not due to arrive in the UK until September 2017, the new electric version of Smart’s cute little ForTwo will have a 100-mile range. There will be a soft-top too and it will have the claim to fame of being the only all-electric convertible on sale. Prices for the Fortwo are expected to start from around £16,500 (after a Government grant) and it will be road tax free.
Ford Focus Electric
Just announced, the latest version of Ford’s first purely electric production car now has a range of around 140 miles and can be topped up to 80% in 30 minutes from a fast-charging point. It’s good for 0-62mph in 11.4 seconds and is expected to cost around £27,000.
Renault Kangoo Van Z.E.
Ok, we’ve cheated because this is a van, but it certainly makes sense for short urban deliveries. That said, the Kangoo Z.E. maxi crew version has windows and seats, so it can be used as a electric people carrier. Charging a Kangoo Z.E. takes between six and nine hours (depending on the power available) and it has a 107-mile range. Priced from £17,298, it’s road tax exempt.
Citroen C-ZERO
Almost identical to the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Peugeot iOn, the C-Zero has a range of 93 miles on a full charge and makes sense in the city. It takes seven hours to charge from a household mains socket, while speed chargers will pump 80% of the full charge through in 30 minutes. VED exempt, it’s priced from £12,495.
Mahindra e20 City
Launched in 2016, India’s e20 is the successor to the G-Wiz (remember that?). It’s more expensive than the Renault Twizy, but undercuts the cheapest mainstream car which is the Renault ZOE. The three-door hatchback has four seats and a claimed range of 79 miles. It has a top speed of 63mph and takes nine hours to charge from empty (1.5 hours via fast charger). Priced from £12,995, it will remain VED exempt after April 2017.
Nissan e-NV200 Combi
Advertised as a 100% electric people carrier, the Combi is a variation of the e-NV200 van. It has an official range of 106 miles and charging can take can take between four and 12 hours, depending on the charger. However, it will charge to 80% in just 30 minutes. Priced from £19,403, it remains road tax free after April 2017.
BMW i3
Arguably the coolest-looking small-ish electric car on the market, the i3 is also fun to drive. It has a battery range of up to 99 miles and using a conventional 230-volt household socket it can be 80% charged in under eight hours – a fast charger will do the job in a fraction of the time. Priced from £32,540, it’s road tax free.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
It may look weird, just like its cousins at Citroen and Peugeot, but it could make sense in the city because it can park in the tightest spaces and four adults can squeeze in. It has a 93-mile range and typical charge takes around 7-8 hours (though it will charge up to 80% via a fast charger). No longer officially on sale new, we’ve seen used examples for sale from just £5,000.
Nissan LEAF
Launched in early 2016, the new Nissan LEAF 30kW has 25% more range than before. Its looks still divide opinion, but it’s made in Britain and it’s the world’s best-selling electric car. With a 32A home charging unit and the optional 6.6kW on-board charger it charges fully in about four hours for a range of up to 124 miles (Nissan LEAF 24kWh) – or in 5.5 hours and up to 155 miles with the LEAF 30kWh. The range is priced from £16,680 and it remains free to tax because it’s a zero emission car.
Tesla Model S
Remarkably, the new road tax system from April 1, 2017, will even penalise owners of the zero-emission 100% Tesla. The Tesla Model S is currently free to tax, but because it costs more than £40,000 it will incur a premium car penalty of £310 per year. Thankfully it’s tax free the first year, but that still adds up to an extra £620 over three years.
Volkswagen e-Golf
The electric variant of the Golf drives surprisingly well and has a range of 118 miles, A household socket takes around seven hours to completely refresh the car’s 24kWh lithium-ion battery. A rapid charger does 80% of the job in 30 minutes. It will still be VED free after April 2017 because it’s a zero emission car. Priced from £31,680.
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive
A premium electric option with plenty of space, the B-Class boasts an official range of 124 miles and it can be charged in as little as three hours. It shifts well too, with a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds. Remaining road tax exempt after April 2017, it’s priced from £29.030.
Tesla Model X
The first UK versions of Tesla’s electric SUV are starting to appear on our roads. Sporting amazing ‘Falcon wing’ doors, the Model X suffers from the same problem as its brother, the Model S, because it costs more than £40,000 (nearer £80,000 to be exact) so it will incur a premium car penalty of £310 per year (first year free).
Hyundai Ioniq
Buyers of the 100% electric version of Hyundai’s very capable new Ioniq (also available as a hybrid, with a plug-in hybrid arriving later in 2017) will still pay nothing in road tax under the new Vehicle Excise Duty rules from April 2017. Priced from £24,495.
Honda Clarity Fuel Cell
And finally, zero emission, tax-free transport doesn’t just mean pure electric cars. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles emit nothing but pure water and, once there’s a refuelling infrastructure in place, they could give EVs a run for their money. The Toyota Mirai is already on the market, but it’s some £66,000. However, the new Honda Clarity Fuel Cell (pictured) goes on sale later in 2017, but whether it will dip below the £40,000 free tax threshold is another matter…