Per-mile EV tax is just the first stop on the road to vehicle taxation reform

Per-mile EV tax is just the first stop on the road to vehicle taxation reform | Letters

Taxing EVs on the amount of electricity they use is fairer than the per-mile system outlined in the budget, writes Edward Leigh, while David Abrams reckons EV owners are being penalised for trying to do the right thing

The announcement in the budget of the introduction of a per-mile tax on electric vehicles is an important start to reforming vehicle taxation to be fairer (Report, 26 November). But it is only the first step towards making it an effective tool to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions.

I provided written and oral evidence to the 2021 Commons transport committee’s inquiry into road pricing and have led a focus group on how it could be made acceptable to the public. Although a per-mile charge is relatively simple to administer, taxes on fuel are fairer because they vary with the weight and efficiency of the vehicle. These are relevant because they determine external costs, such as the rate of road wear, severity of harm caused in collisions, and carbon emissions. A tax on energy usage captures these external costs better than a tax on mileage.

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The car made pedestrians second-class citizens. Don’t let driverless vehicles push us off the road altogether | Adam Tranter

If we want autonomous tech to succeed it must be designed to share space with us, rather than forcing us to adapt to it Adam Tranter is the co-host of the Streets Ahead podcast. He was formerly West Midlands cycling and walking commissioner under mayor Andy Street This week, the UK government announced its plans to fast-track driverless vehicle trials in the UK. One of the key companies involved noted that London presents a significant challenge: “It has seven times more jaywalkers than San Francisco.” There’s more than one problem with that statement – and it encapsulates so much of what’s already going wrong in the adoption of driverless cars. For a start, “jaywalking” isn’t even a thing in the UK. We thankfully have no such concept or offence. Unlike in many US cities, pedestrians here are free to cross the road wherever they see fit. And thank goodness for that. Adam Tranter is the co-host of the Streets Ahead podcast. He was formerly West Midlands cycling and walking co...

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