Former Top Gear TV presenter Quentin Wilson has teamed up with London black cab drivers to demand urgent car tax changes to help motorists in the capital.
The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), representing the majority of black cab drivers in the capital, is calling for VAT on electric car charging to be cut immediately.
Motorists topping up their electric vehicles at public bays are slapped with 20 percent VAT fees compared to just five percent for those charging at home.
Just under 60 percent of London’s almost 15,000 black cab fleet is made up of zero-emission vehicles meaning lots of drivers without off-street parking will be paying higher rates.
FairCharge founder Quentin Wilson said: “FairCharge has campaigned for three years repeatedly asking the Treasury to cut the VAT on public EV charging, and help reduce costs for those electric car drivers who can’t charge at home. Affordability is one of the key levers to mass EV adoption.”
A lack of Government action has led to private companies getting involved with charging site Instavolt pledging to cut VAT rates by 15 percent in the capital for one month.
Quentin added: “I’m really encouraged to see InstaVolt symbolically reduce their prices, to reflect the difference a VAT cut would make, and for the LTDA and all their EV cab drivers to join the campaign.
“Hopefully this will help HMT appreciate that reducing the tax on electricity for public EV charging is an important lever for increasing EV adoption.”
MPs had called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to make changes to the VAT rule ahead of the Spring Budget.
However, no new updates were announced with the Government instead focusing on axing fuel duty for petrol and diesel owners.
Steve McNamara, general secretary of the LTDA, explained: “Well over half of London’s black cabs are now electric but the shortage of rapid public charging points and rising cost of charging remain barriers to wider uptake of electric taxis.
“Reducing the VAT on public charging, bringing it into line with home chargers, would help level the playing field for those drivers unable to charge at home as well as supporting drivers with mounting operating costs.
“We hugely appreciate InstaVolt’s gesture of removing the VAT equivalent themselves to demonstrate the positive impact such a reduction would have.”
