Thousands of drivers will be hit with a “ten-fold” increase in car tax charges due to new Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) fees coming into effect from today. Motorists getting behind the wheel of hybrid vehicles will now pay up to £100 more to use the roads in a fee up to 10 times higher than previous rates.
Hybrid vehicles are fitted with both a petrol engine, electric motor and a battery, and produce very little carbon emissions. The vehicles are seen as a halfway step between traditional combustion vehicles and new electric models. Owners of brand new hybrid models had been paying £10 in VED fees to use the road but this has now soared to £110 per year.
The increase in hybrid first-year rates is the largest percentage increase of any model across this year’s VED fees – even if it isn’t the biggest financial increase.
Motoring experts at Pete Barden have been warning of the increase for months with “most hybrids” affected.
They explained: “One of the most notable adjustments is the eye-watering rise in first-year tax for vehicles with emissions between 1-50g/km of CO₂ – a group of cars that includes most hybrids.
“The rate for these vehicles will soar from £10 (or zero for hybrids) to £110. This increase will impact a large number of plug-in hybrid models in this category.
“For cars emitting between 51-75g/km of CO2, rates will also rise, going from £30 (or £20 for hybrids) to £135. All other rates will double next year.”
Recent analysis has predicted there are as many as 777,000 plug-in hybrid models currently registered on UK roads.
This is around half of the estimated 1.4million fully battery electric vehicles but enough to still worry much of the UK.
The £100 rise only applies to brand new hybrid cars newly registered and not those who currently own models.
