Last checked: · Independent UK owner guide · Announced April 2028 changes
The government has announced a new mileage-based charge from 1 April 2028: 1.5p per mile for plug-in hybrid cars and 3p for fully electric cars. It is called Electric Vehicle Excise Duty, or eVED, and is additional to ordinary road tax. [2]
For Jaecoo buyers, the important distinction is J7 Hybrid versus J7 PHEV. A conventional non-plug-in hybrid is not in the announced scope; a plug-in hybrid is. The model breakdown below explains the difference. [4] [8]
What would a pay-per-mile charge actually cost to own a Jaecoo? Should it change the car you buy? And why would a plug-in hybrid pay it even when the petrol engine is running?
This guide separates the extra mileage charge from existing road tax, shows the numbers at different mileages and explains the practical questions to keep in mind. The estimates are for the announced starting rates, not a prediction of every future motoring bill.
Jump to a section
- What has been announced, and when?
- Which Jaecoo models would pay?
- What would it cost at your mileage?
- Why plug-in hybrids pay on petrol miles too
- How it differs from existing road tax
- Mileage readings, payments and checks
- What it could mean for running costs
- Buying, selling, PCP and leasing
- Frequently asked questions
- Official sources and review notes
1. What has been announced, and when does it start?
eVED is an announced future policy, not a mileage tax that drivers are paying today. It was announced at Budget 2025. The government published its consultation response in July 2026, and Budget 2026 says implementation legislation will be introduced through Finance Bill 2026–27. [1] [2]
The planned start is April 2028. HMRC says motorists will enter the system when first renewing their VED after the introduction date. Buying an electric or plug-in hybrid car before then does not, by itself, exempt it: the announced scope covers existing UK-registered cars too. [1]
Why introduce it? The government wants to replace some revenue lost as drivers move away from petrol and diesel, and therefore pay less fuel duty. This is the government's rationale; whether the particular design is fair is a separate question. [4]
This is also why the word “tax” needs context. A usage-based charge on a UK-registered car is not the same thing as a tariff on importing a car. It is not specific to Jaecoo or to Chinese brands. [1]
2. Which Jaecoo models would pay the new charge?
Choose by powertrain, not just model name. Jaecoo's UK range includes petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric options. SHS-H is the non-plug-in hybrid; SHS-P is the plug-in hybrid. [7] [8]
Swipe sideways to see all columns →
| Model / version | Powertrain | Additional eVED |
|---|---|---|
| J5 petrol | Petrol | Outside the announced scope |
| E5 / J5 EV | Fully electric | 3p per mile |
| J7 petrol | Petrol | Outside the announced scope |
| J7 Hybrid / SHS-H | Non-plug-in hybrid | Outside the announced scope |
| J7 PHEV / SHS-P | Plug-in hybrid | 1.5p per mile |
| J8 SHS-P | Plug-in hybrid | 1.5p per mile |
Model classifications: Jaecoo UK. Tax treatment: government eVED documents. “Outside the announced scope” does not mean exempt from ordinary VED or fuel duty. [7] [4]
Already comparing the two electrified J7 versions? Our Jaecoo J7 PHEV versus Hybrid guide looks at the ownership differences. The distinction matters more than a general headline saying “hybrids will pay road tax”.
Omoda owners can use the same powertrain-based approach. A car's badge does not decide this charge; its category and mileage do. [1]
3. How much extra would you pay?
The basic calculation is annual mileage × the rate in pounds. For a plug-in hybrid, 1.5p is £0.015, not £1.50. For a fully electric car, 3p is £0.03. The following are our arithmetic illustrations using the published starting rates. [2] [10]
Swipe sideways for both powertrains and monthly equivalents →
| Annual miles | PHEV / year | PHEV / month* | Electric / year | Electric / month* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | £75 | £6.25 | £150 | £12.50 |
| 7,000 | £105 | £8.75 | £210 | £17.50 |
| 10,000 | £150 | £12.50 | £300 | £25.00 |
| 12,000 | £180 | £15.00 | £360 | £30.00 |
| 15,000 | £225 | £18.75 | £450 | £37.50 |
| 20,000 | £300 | £25.00 | £600 | £50.00 |
*Monthly figures are annual estimates divided by 12 for budgeting. They are not DVLA Direct Debit quotes. These examples exclude ordinary VED, any expensive-car supplement and all other ownership costs.
At 7,000 miles, the illustration is £105 a year for a J7 or J8 PHEV. At 20,000 miles, it is £300. Neither “just a few pounds” nor “hundreds for everyone” describes every household accurately.
Each extra 1,000 miles adds £15 for a PHEV or £30 for a battery-electric car at these rates. Use the Jaecoo pay-per-mile tax calculator to replace the examples with your own figure.
The starting rates are not a permanent price promise. The government plans CPI-linked increases from 2029–30. We have not guessed those future increases or multiplied the first-year rate into a supposedly exact long-term bill. [2]
4. Does a plug-in hybrid pay on petrol miles as well?
Yes: the announced PHEV approach uses total mileage, not just miles driven electrically. Fuel duty remains part of the price of petrol. The government says the lower PHEV rate recognises that drivers still use taxed fuel; it is not a personalised calculation of each car's electric-driving share. [9] [3]
Worked example: imagine a J7 PHEV covers 10,000 miles, with 8,000 on electricity and 2,000 on petrol. Its starting-rate eVED illustration is 10,000 × £0.015 = £150. It is not £120 based only on the electric miles.
Reverse the split to 2,000 electric miles and 8,000 petrol miles: the eVED illustration is still £150. The petrol and charging bills would be different.
That creates an understandable fairness question. Two PHEV drivers could pay the same mileage charge but very different amounts of fuel duty. The reduced rate is a broad compromise, not a guarantee that everyone's combined taxes match exactly.
It also means that avoiding charging would not avoid this particular tax. When deciding how to use your PHEV, compare your actual electricity price, petrol use and driving routine separately. Use our PHEV running-cost calculator for petrol and charging, then add the mileage-charge estimate as a separate budget line.
5. Is this replacing ordinary road tax?
No. Think of two separate questions: what does it cost to tax the car, and what additional charge applies to the miles driven? eVED is an extra component, not a replacement for existing VED. [10]
There has already been a different change: electric and low-emission vehicles came into the ordinary VED system from April 2025. That earlier change should not be mistaken for the new mileage-based policy announced for 2028. [6]
Ordinary VED can depend on registration date, emissions, the first-year versus later-year rules and an expensive-car supplement where applicable. The supplement has its own list-price and eligibility rules; a mileage calculation does not establish whether it applies. [5] [6]
For your budget, keep ordinary VED + any applicable supplement + eVED separate from petrol, electricity, insurance, servicing and finance. Check the VED rates applying when payment is due rather than assuming today's annual figure will be unchanged in 2028.
Why our calculator does not promise “your total road tax”: two people entering the same mileage may have different registration and tax circumstances. A narrower, clearly labelled estimate is more useful than an impressive-looking total built on assumptions you did not provide.
6. How would mileage reporting and payments work?
HMRC describes a system linked to VED renewal: provide an odometer reading, estimate mileage for the forthcoming period, and pay upfront or spread payments. A later reading reconciles estimated and actual mileage. DVLA will administer the charge. [1]
That estimate is a budgeting step, not a fixed allowance of “free” miles. A change in commute or a long trip is a reason to revisit your estimate rather than assume the initial amount settles everything.
What changed after the consultation?
The July 2026 response dropped routine separate mileage visits for cars below MOT age. Owner readings and MOT data remain central; targeted checks can still be required where fraud or non-compliance is suspected. Optional connected-car reporting is being developed, not mandatory location tracking. [3]
For your own records, a dated note of the odometer reading is a sensible starting point. It also helps distinguish what you have actually driven from a finance agreement's allowance or an estimate entered months earlier.
Do overseas trips count? Under the announced design, yes: non-UK mileage in a UK-registered car is included. The policy does not split charges by journey location. [3]
7. What could it mean for Jaecoo running costs?
It reduces an affected car's running-cost advantage by the amount of the extra charge, all else being equal. It does not automatically eliminate that advantage. The useful comparison is a complete budget for the cars you are actually considering.
As a deliberately fictional example, suppose your own calculations suggest a PHEV saves £750 a year in petrol and charging compared with an alternative. At 10,000 miles, subtracting the £150 starting-rate eVED estimate leaves £600 of that energy-cost advantage. That is not a claim about a particular Jaecoo's savings, and it still excludes other differences such as purchase price and insurance.
Conversely, suppose the estimated energy saving was only £100. Subtract £150 and the result is £50 worse on those items. The same tax can have a very different effect on two different comparisons.
High mileage makes the calculation more important
A driver covering 20,000 miles would budget twice the extra charge of a driver covering 10,000 miles. It is worth testing a lower and a higher mileage estimate, particularly when work or family circumstances may change. That is a more useful stress test than trying to predict an exact annual bill several years ahead.
Charging habits still belong in the comparison
Build your budget from your actual home and public-charging prices, not the cheapest tariff you have seen advertised unless you genuinely qualify and can use it. Likewise, use realistic petrol consumption. A small error repeated over thousands of miles can matter as much as the new charge.
Our charging cost and time calculator and fuel cost calculator help separate these assumptions. They should complement the eVED estimate, not be mistaken for an all-in cost of ownership.
8. Should it change your buying or selling decision?
Include it; do not let one tax line make the whole decision. Compare the actual purchase deal, your mileage, charging access, insurance quote, practicality and how long you expect to keep the car. For a modest-mileage owner, a purchase-price difference could outweigh several years of the starting-rate charge; for a higher-mileage driver, the annual difference deserves more attention.
Nor is there a sound basis here for promising a particular change in used Jaecoo values. A new running cost could influence buyers, but that does not tell us the size or direction of a particular model's future depreciation. Selling solely to avoid a relatively small annual charge could itself involve a much larger transaction cost.
PCP and leasing: ask who handles the tax
Do not confuse a PCP or lease mileage allowance with an eVED allowance. Work out likely actual mileage, then check your agreement and ask the provider how future tax changes would be administered or passed on. This calculator does not assess finance charges, contract terms, company-car tax or VAT on a provider's bill.
A point for future used-car purchases
The July response envisages prepaid eVED mileage credit transferring with the car, with paid mileage visible through DVLA. Sellers can top up outstanding liability; automatic refunds are not planned at launch. Check the final transfer rules before buying or selling after implementation. [3]
That would make tax status another practical check alongside the car itself. It is not a reason to assume an advertised used-car price already accounts for everything.
9. Frequently asked questions
Will my existing Jaecoo be exempt because I bought it before 2028?
Not simply because of its purchase date. Existing UK-registered electric and plug-in hybrid cars are included in the announced scope. Your powertrain and circumstances matter, not just when you bought it. [4]
Does the Jaecoo J7 self-charging hybrid pay the same as the PHEV?
Is £12.50 a month the total tax on a J7 PHEV doing 10,000 miles?
No. It is £150 of additional eVED divided by 12 as a budgeting illustration. Ordinary VED, any applicable supplement and other running costs are not included. It is not a DVLA payment quote.
Will charging my PHEV more often reduce its eVED bill?
Can I use the calculator for another car, such as an Omoda?
Yes. Choose the relevant option under “Another car?” It uses the selected powertrain and mileage, not a manufacturer-specific tax rate. It is designed for ordinary passenger cars, not specialist vehicles or individual exemption decisions.
Does zero driving mean zero road tax?
No. Zero miles produces a zero mileage-charge illustration. It does not establish that no ordinary VED or other tax obligation applies. Check the relevant vehicle-tax rules for your circumstances. [5]
10. Official sources and review notes
This guide uses government publications and Jaecoo's UK model information, checked on 7 November 2026. Rates, implementation details and legislation can change before April 2028. The calculator is a general budgeting tool, not an official tax assessment or personalised advice.
We have used the July 2026 consultation response where it supersedes the original proposals. Future review points include legislation, further DVLA operational guidance and any changes to rates, mileage verification or vehicle-transfer arrangements.
View the original documents
- HMRC — Electric Vehicle Excise Duty policy and impact note. Updated 28 October 2026. Scope, start date, renewal and administration.
- Budget 2026 — Overview of tax legislation and rates. Updated 5 November 2026. Section 1.76: implementation and inflation-linked rates.
- HM Treasury — eVED consultation response. Updated 13 July 2026. Revised mileage checks, reporting and transfer arrangements.
- HM Treasury — original eVED consultation. Background and scope; superseded details should be read with the response.
- GOV.UK — vehicle tax rate tables. Existing VED rules; not a prediction of future rates.
- GOV.UK — vehicle tax for electric, zero and low-emission vehicles. The separate changes introduced in April 2025.
- Jaecoo UK — model range. Model and powertrain mapping.
- Jaecoo UK — Super Hybrid System. SHS-H and SHS-P definitions.
- UK Parliament — written answer on PHEV eVED. Answered 14 September 2026. PHEV treatment and mileage reporting.
- Vehicle Certification Agency — Electric Vehicle Excise Duty. Starting rates and the additional nature of the charge; use later government documents for implementation updates.