Mileage blockers threaten EV pay per-mile tax - but new legislation in the works, says RAC

With just two-years until the UK Government launches its pay per-mile road tax on EVs and plug-in hybrids, concerns grow regarding the usage of mileage 'blockers' available to drivers and businesses. 

An investigation by Autocar found that hundreds of drivers and businesses were using such devices - priced between £200-900 - to avoid mileage penalties at the end of a lease or personal contract purchase (PCP). 

It says these mileage blockers are designed for testing vehicles off the public highway, but fears emerge that such tactics will be deployed to save on road tax for EV and PHEV drivers. 

The government has confirmed that drivers will be required to provide an odometer reading and estimate their mileage for the forthcoming vehicle tax period. Additionally, the mileage will be logged during the vehicle's annual MOT test.

The RAC reports that plans for new offences are in the pipeline for mileage tampering, which includes the fitting and/or supplying of mileage altering devices. Currently, no such legislation is in place, nor has government advised garages on how to handle a potentially tampered vehicle.

Government currently states that 'where applicable', it will use this data to ensure that the user-supplied mileage is consistent and up-to-date. 

For fleets, this represents a change from the usual Vehicle Exise Duty (VED) procedure and requires drivers to be extra vigilant of their mileage. The used market could face the risk of manipulated vehicles to which previous keepers have deployed such blocking devices on. 

It's important to remember that a vehicle's stated mileage may not necessarily be accurate - especially if it's showing heavy signs of wear that don't add up to its stated previous usage.

For more EV news, click here to learn about the government's ZEV mandate consultation

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