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BobbyP27 t1_iwr4ial wrote

Reply to comment by ledow in UK: Electric car drivers must pay tax from 2025 by nastratin

When you can simply charge an EV from a domestic electricity supply, actually implementing such a tax system is extremely difficult. It is already a challenge preventing people from using untaxed red diesel in road vehicles, making a system that can work for electric cars will be a whole lot harder.

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ledow t1_iwr6cnp wrote

That's why you tax electricity.

"Red diesel" is dumb because you expect people not to abuse an untaxed official product.

If you just taxed "all diesel", then offered registered farmers a rebate on their diesel tax receipts, it would actually make FAR MORE SENSE.

Similarly, if you just taxed "all electricity" - which you're already doing, with consumer tax rates on electricity being as high as charging at a service station - they're saving nothing.

The loophole is the people with their own solar power supply capable of fully charging the vehicle. The tax from purchasing which is significant anyway. And it's also encouraging the exact behaviour you want - people to use less oil, less road facilities (e.g. service stations), and generate less pollution.

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tomtttttttttttt t1_iwrdd3t wrote

Except that then you are taxing all sorts of electricity usage which simply do not have the same external costs as the air pollution and road wear that cars do.

Car usage needs to be taxed at a much higher level than things like lighting or heating a home.

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