Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Hinckley and Bosworth, has called for answers after a new pay per mile levy from the Government has left drivers "angry and anxious" after they "were told to do the right thing" and buy electric cars.
On 26 November the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced a 3p per mile duty on electric vehicles and 1.5p per mile on hybrid cars.
However, motorists have a growing number of questions as to how the tax, estimated to raise £1.4 billion by 2029/30, will work.
One key question is how owners of new electric or hybrid cars will accurately record the mileage within the first three years, before an annual MOT is due.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves failed to instil confidence on the morning after the Budget. When questioned about how drivers would record mileage before the car is required to undergo an MOT, Reeves told BBC Breakfast, "This policy comes in in 2028, to give time to make sure that this policy works. We need to make time to get this right."
The Chancellor went on to say that "at the moment, if you've got a petrol or a diesel car, you're contributing to road maintenance and the building of new roads. But if you've got an electric vehicle you're not making that contribution."
However, taxes raised from Vehicle Excise Duty, which the Chancellor referred to above, have not been ring-fenced since 1937, meaning those funds do not go directly towards improving roads.
Speaking in the House of Commons the day after the Budget, Dr Luke raised several questions around the new pay per mile levy and asked for a full Parliamentary debate on the policy so that MPs could put forward their constituents' questions.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Hinckley and Bosworth, said "Electric and plug-in car drivers in Hinckley and Bosworth and North-West Leicestershire have woken up angry and anxious this morning. They were told to do the right thing by getting electric cars, yet the Chancellor is going [on the media] saying that they will be charged per mile and that the money will go into improving roads. The Leader of the House, a learned man, will know that that link was broken in 1937.
"There is some consternation about how the charges will affect the second-hand car market, whether vehicles will need trackers, and what happens when charges are passed over. Those are serious considerations for my constituents, who are trying to understand how the scheme will work. May we have a debate in Government time on how the electric vehicle charges will work?
Sir Alan Campbell, Leader of the House of Commons, responded by saying "The Member for Hinckley and Bosworth raises important matters. I am sure that the Government will bring forward a full explanation of how the charges will work."
Speaking afterwards, Dr Luke Evans MP said "Motorists have serious questions about how this levy will work if they have new cars, if they travel abroad, if they live in Northern Ireland and drive into Ireland, and what happens when they sell the car.
"It is clear from the Chancellor's response to the BBC that the Government brought in this tax rise without thinking through the implications and what it would mean for motorists.
"I have written to the Treasury with questions and will be looking for opportunities to raise this in Parliament so that people across Hinckley and Bosworth and North West Leicestershire get the answers they need."
