Will the chancellor increase road fuel duty by 7.5p/L?

[Stinsy]

This would be a huge step in the right direction IMO. It'd push many businesses and individuals towards EVs. But will she do it?

[nowty]

I thought yes, but no.

Frozen for at least another year.

[dan_b]

I can only assume it was too much of a "tax on working people" to have increased.

[dan_b]

However, this is interesting. From the small print of the Autumn Budget: first-year VED rates to double over today's levels for all cars emitting 76g/km CO2 and above.

'As an extreme example, the first year rate for a Range Rover V8 (261g/km CO2) will go up from £2,745 to... £5,490. Even a Golf GTI (162g/km CO2) will increase from £680 to £1,360.

So there is a tax disincentive to continue to buy new fossil burners vs an EV, but it doesn’t immediately “hurt” the pockets of those who still drive older petrol cars

[Yuff]

However, this is interesting. From the small print of the Autumn Budget: first-year VED rates to double over today's levels for all cars emitting 76g/km CO2 and above.

'As an extreme example, the first year rate for a Range Rover V8 (261g/km CO2) will go up from £2,745 to... £5,490. Even a Golf GTI (162g/km CO2) will increase from £680 to £1,360.

So there is a tax disincentive to continue to buy new fossil burners vs an EV, but it doesn’t immediately “hurt” the pockets of those who still drive older petrol cars

That’s how it should be.
Then they need to sort out the ridiculously extortionate public charging network

[Stinsy]

Really surprising and disappointing that road fuel duty has remained untouched.

I've always thought that the VED bands didn't do what they were intended to do, particularly when they first aligned it with CO2. Ordinary family cars such as a 2.0L Mondeo fell into a high bracket, and V8 4x4s were not much more expensive. Now there is no link to CO2 after year 1, it is just a "luxury" (jealousy) tax in years 2-5.

I'm not sure anyone really change their mind on buying a £110k Range Rover because the first year VED has gone from £2.75k to £5.5k. And I don't imagine it will raise much money either.

[AE-NMidlands]

I can only assume it was too much of a "tax on working people" to have increased.

... unlike rail and bus fares! Road Fuel duty escalator has been frozen for a decade, rail fares have gone up ahead of inflation all that time.
Bus fares (for those of us outside London) going up from £2 to £3.
What about the green agenda or commitment to active travel? What annoys me most of all is the narrow-minded short-term financial thinking, ignoring the healthcare savings which would follow on from less pollution and congestion.

p.s. I haven't been paying attention! I just had an email from cycling UK:

More money for cycling in Autumn Budget – but still far to go on funding.
Soon after the general election, the Transport Secretary Louise Haigh promised “unprecedented levels of funding” in cycling and walking in England. We didn’t get that today, but there was a commitment in the Autumn Budget to make an additional £100 million available to councils next year for active travel schemes. This is a welcome first step, but we now really need your help to make sure governments across the UK realise why more investment in active travel is so desperately needed.

So a few crumbs at least...

[resybaby]

Joe average in the street doesnt cough up that sort of private cash for such a vehicle.
Most folks with tastes/extravegancies like that are businessmen who will purchase via their company - and swiftly claim the taxes back anyway.
David Beckham doesnt buy his motors, David Beckham limited does.
Its smoke and mirrors.

[Mart]

I'm not sure anyone really change their mind on buying a £110k Range Rover because the first year VED has gone from £2.75k to £5.5k. And I don't imagine it will raise much money either.

I mainly agree with you, but looking for the good news (as I tend to try) I'll play Devil's Advocate, and do something I was told a decade or so back - 'test it to the extreme'.

So, if for example the VED was increased to £1m, then it would end all (almost? all) sales. So there has to be a point where increases affect sales. The nudge effect, would suggest every £1 has an impact, until the point it changes the mind of one person, then more £'s till the next mind is changed.

Hopefully, all such increases will impact people's decision, and drive a few to look at other options (smaller cars, BEV's etc). I hope (well we can all hope) that some potential buyers of the Range Rover may just Google BEV's, and be pleasantly surprised by some offerings like the Kia EV9 just as an example.

That's my rose tinted glasses attempt for the day.

[dan_b]

On the Range Rover point - I think it's quite clever - if you're a business and you're in finance and looking at the cost of your company car fleet, making a RR Company Car another £5k more expensive, vs the 100% tax write offs you can claim for electric company cars is yet another reason to not get the 3Ton SUV and change the company policy to EVs...