Could I really buy an Audi?

The mileage charge also discourages living outside conurbations exacerbating the problem. Which brings me back to my something is afoot comment, restricting personal movement.

Edit: you could always raise the VAT on home electric to 30% would raise about £27bn plus set the VAT at fast charging stations to 30% that would help offset the shortfall. While you're at it, force home owners to switch from gas/oil to heat pumps. That will pretty much cover the shortfall.

Now, we just need the infrastructure to support this. I know, set the standard rate to £1/kW and a daily standing charge of £1 should help. Use drones to calculate who has solar panels and charge 50% more on council tax for those properties. Happy days.

I think the RFD freeze is a manipulation by a cynical government in election year not stoking inflation.

Also, what would be the benefit of raising petrol and diesel to say £2 per litre ? The 3+ car households might get rid of one, the low income carers might call it a day as not worth the effort, the catering industry, restaurants, bars etc will see clientele fall further as the taxi ride home will cost more than the rest of the night out.

I'm not sure collapsing the economy further to
clean up air pollution is the way forward.

I don't think there's any backsliding as much as people, other than the early adopters, wishing to see the technology prove itself.

Installing a heat pump system at around 40,000€ to double annual heating bills based on current rates with double digit inflation is causing people to stop and think about finances is not backsliding.

If there is an economy of scale with these things then why would you rush out to do it now ? Similar to EspIII friend and their EV. That's not backsliding, that's people being fiscally responsible with the resources they have.

If air pollution/quality in a city is toxic to public health should we not stop more people entering the zone on a daily basis ? Herding people in on trains, buses and yes, cars, any car is contributing to the problem. People are the polluters, they consume food and drinks in packaging, require shelter, heat, air con, somewhere to park a car if that's how they've travelled. It all adds up.

Meaning what, Humph?

Funnily enough, I have a dictionary. It doesn’t make your meaning any clearer. 🤓

Yes, many people have extremely limited room to make decisions. That’s where governments come in — altruism writ large, if you like.

EVs do not pay road tax yet but will do from April 2025. So you'd pay the same for a full EV as I will for a 2.5 litre petrol. But if the EV was over £40k when delivered (i.e. list price including options) they are also liable for the additional road tax fee for the first 5 years. too. So that benefit for having an EV in terms of total cost of ownership will be taken away. As will at some point will exemption from London congestion charge. And rightly so for that because it's a congestion and not an emission based charge.

The saving was real whilst it lasted, and it lasted for quite a number of years.

Hybrids are taxed here for road fund licence/road tax too. And will pay the tax and VAT on the fuel when it's used. Except you can avoid the latter if you only use electric. With so many new hybrids now quoting ranges of 60+ miles a lot of travel could be on electric alone. I know mine would.

EDIT: The supplement for cars over £40k is for cars registered after April 2025.

At the risk of being called peevish or pedantic, it’s Vehicle Excise Duty. Why does it matter? Because it’s a duty on the special privilege of using a vehicle, not some admission fee for the right to use roads. Calling it ‘Road Tax’ encourages Certain Elements to believe they’ve bought a special entitlement over road users without vehicles, and so have the right to mistreat them. Every cyclist knows about this, so the terminology matters. 

Except that there is VAT on electricity, and at the full 20 percent for public charging. My relatively inefficient CLS costs about 10p a mile in fuel duty and VAT, a smaller fossil car 7-8p. Charged at a 79p motorway point, my i3 costs more like 3-4p: less, but far from zero.

And there is (to stretch the point a little) VED on EVs too. I have to do a renewal each year for mine — just at, for a little longer, a rate of £0.

Which may well create another artificial rupture in the EV market, not that anyone buying a £50,000 car ought to worry about a few quid in duty.