The government has published its response to the consultation on the proposed eVED scheme, which ran earlier this year.

 An active participant in the process, was The BVRLA (The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association). They conducted multiple working groups with members, industry stakeholders and government representatives, and gave evidence to the Transport Select Committee in March.

The BVRLA revealed during that consultation, that it estimated that eVED as proposed, would cost the fleet sector an estimated £260m per year in compliance alone - such was the friction that would be created by the scheme’s initial design.

The response highlights that the views of the BVRLA and many others from the sector have been acknowledged, with a host of changes.

 HM Treasury has announced:

• it will not proceed with annual mileage checks for pre-MOT vehicles

• allow fleets to provide estimated mileage readings

• introduce bulk licensing arrangements and greater payment flexibility

• allow fleets to reconcile eVED on disposal

• explore the use of connected car data

• continue to engage with the fleet sector in the run up to launching eVED

Commenting on the Treasury announcements, Toby Poston, BVRLA chief executive, said: “When it comes to the Wrong Tax at the Wrong Time, eVED, the fleet sector has spoken loud and clear. This poorly designed and scheduled tax would pile extra cost and bureaucracy onto fleets and drivers and eviscerate EV demand just as the Government's sales targets start ratcheting-up.

“It is great that the government has taken some of the roughest edges off its eVED plans. They've accepted that a tax designed around private motorists won't work for the fleets that are driving the UK's transition to electric vehicles.

“But there is no avoiding the fact that you can't create a smooth switch to electric vehicles by making them more expensive to own. The mechanics of the tax may have improved, but the timing is still wrong.”