UK MOT Garages to Verify EV Mileage Under Proposed Road Tax

Proposed Pay-Per-Mile Road Tax for Electric Vehicles

The UK government is introducing a new mileage-based road tax for electric cars as part of its Autumn Budget 2025. Starting in April 2028, owners of electric vehicles (EVs) will be charged a rate of 3 pence per mile driven (with plug-in hybrid cars charged 1.5p per mile) under a scheme called the Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED). This charge will be applied annually alongside the standard Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) road tax [Reuters]. The goal is to replace some of the revenue lost from traditional fuel taxes as drivers transition from petrol/diesel to cleaner electric cars.

Official forecasts suggest the new per-mile tax could raise about £1.1 billion in its first year (2028–29), rising to roughly £1.9 billion by 2030 as more EVs hit the road. However, the policy has generated concern within the auto industry. Major industry bodies like the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) warn that charging EV drivers per mile could suppress demand for electric cars, potentially slowing the shift to zero-emission vehicles [Reuters]. In response, the government has extended certain EV incentives (such as purchase grants and tax adjustments) to help offset the new costs, seeking to balance revenue needs with its climate and EV-adoption goals.

Mileage Reporting and Verification Process

The eVED system will be integrated into the existing road tax (VED) renewal process. EV owners will be required to self-report their vehicle’s mileage each year. In practical terms, when you renew your road tax annually, you must provide your current odometer reading and also estimate the number of miles you expect to drive in the coming year. The mileage-based tax is then calculated on that estimate and paid upfront (or divided into monthly payments via Direct Debit) alongside the normal VED [RAC]. For example, if you estimate 5,000 miles for the next year, an EV would incur a £150 charge (at 3p per mile) for that period.

Crucially, this is a pay-in-advance system with a reconciliation at the end of the year. Once the year has passed, the actual miles driven will be compared to the initial estimate. If you drive more miles than you paid for, you’ll need to pay the additional tax for those extra miles; if you have driven fewer, you should receive a credit or refund for the difference. In this way, the system is designed to “settle up” based on real usage each year, ensuring drivers only ultimately pay for the miles they actually travel. (The government likens this to how some car insurance policies work, where motorists estimate annual mileage and later adjust if needed.)

Role of MOT Garages in Mileage Verification

How will the authorities verify that drivers’ reported mileage is accurate? The plan relies heavily on the existing MOT testing infrastructure. MOT test centres already record every vehicle’s odometer reading during the annual MOT (Ministry of Transport) safety test, and these readings are logged in a central database. Under the eVED proposal, these routine MOT checks will double as the mileage verification mechanism. Each time an EV goes for its MOT, the recorded mileage will be used to check against the driver’s self-reported mileage for tax purposes. If a car is already undergoing an MOT in a given year, no additional steps are needed, the mileage reading taken during the MOT will serve to verify the distance driven [HM Treasury Consultation].

A complication arises for newer electric cars, since brand-new vehicles don’t require an MOT test until they are three years old. To ensure mileage is still captured in those early years, the government proposes that even cars under three years old must undergo an annual mileage check. In practice, this means an electric car in its first or second year on the road would need to visit an authorized facility (anticipated to be an MOT garage or similar accredited tester) to have its mileage reading logged each year, even though a full MOT isn’t yet due [Electrifying.com]. These mileage-only check-ups for new EVs are expected to be quick and straightforward, essentially just recording the odometer, and the government has indicated there will be no charge to the motorist for these interim checks (the cost of conducting them will be covered by the government) [HM Treasury Consultation]. Officials note that many owners could conveniently schedule these visits alongside regular servicing or other routine maintenance during the car’s early years, to minimise any inconvenience.

The government’s consultation paper explicitly states that MOT centres are considered “well placed” to serve as the accredited providers of these mileage verification checks. MOT garages have the necessary facilities to log mileage data and are already trusted partners of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and DVLA. In other words, the existing MOT network provides a ready-made, secure channel for collecting odometer readings across the country. The authorities plan to work closely with the MOT testing industry in the run-up to 2028 to ensure garages are prepared for this new role and to iron out practical details (such as how the data will be transmitted, and how garages will be compensated for the extra work). By leveraging MOT stations in this way, the government aims to implement eVED without creating an entirely new inspection regime from scratch.

Ensuring Accuracy and Preventing Odometer Fraud

A mileage-based tax naturally puts a spotlight on the accuracy of odometer readings. One concern raised is the potential for odometer tampering (often called “clocking”), where a vehicle’s mileage is rolled back or falsified to appear lower. The government acknowledges this risk in its proposal. Research cited in the official consultation suggests that around 2.3% of UK vehicles show signs of mileage manipulation, and introducing a per-mile tax could create an added incentive for some drivers to try to cheat the system by altering their odometers [HM Treasury Consultation]. Odometer fraud is obviously illegal, it is a criminal offence to knowingly sell a “clocked” car without disclosing the tampering, but the eVED scheme could make accurate mileage reporting even more financially significant for owners.

To safeguard against abuse, the eVED framework places clear responsibilities on both vehicle owners and manufacturers. Drivers are responsible for providing an accurate mileage reading and for ensuring their car’s odometer is functioning correctly at all times. If an odometer is broken or not recording mileage, it must be repaired promptly, simply claiming the odometer wasn’t working will not be an acceptable excuse for failing to report mileage. The expectation is that motorists take “reasonable steps” to guarantee the data they submit is truthful and up-to-date. On the other side, vehicle manufacturers are expected to make odometers as tamper-proof as possible (especially in modern digital dashboards) and to assist authorities in investigating any suspected cases of odometer fraud [HM Treasury Consultation]. Meanwhile, MOT testers will continue to diligently record the mileage at each test and flag any obvious discrepancies or evidence of interference with the odometer.

Enforcement will be handled in large part by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), in line with how existing road tax rules are enforced. The DVLA can cross-reference the mileage a driver reports (and pays tax on) with the official readings logged at MOT centres. If a significant mismatch is found, for example, if someone claimed to drive 5,000 miles but the MOT shows 10,000 miles, the system will likely trigger further scrutiny or an additional bill for the unpaid tax. The government has indicated that a range of enforcement measures will be in place to ensure compliance. These could start with reminder letters or notices for drivers who forget to report or get their mileage checked, escalating to financial penalties for underpayment or non-reporting, and even court prosecutions, wheel-clamping or impounding of vehicles in cases of egregious evasion [HM Treasury Consultation]. In essence, the authorities intend to treat mileage-tax evasion similarly to how they treat VED (road tax) evasion, using both automated tools (like ANPR camera systems that flag untaxed vehicles) and direct enforcement to deter fraud. All these steps are aimed at making sure that the mileage data is accurate and trustworthy, so that eVED charges are fair for everyone.

Implications for Drivers and MOT Garages

For EV owners, the integration of mileage checks with MOT brings both convenience and new obligations. Owners of electric cars older than three years will likely notice little change in their routine, they will continue getting an annual MOT as required, with the only difference being that the mileage they’re already having recorded will now feed into a tax calculation. For those with newer EVs, there will be a new annual task: taking the car in for a quick odometer reading in years one and two of ownership. The upside is that these checks will be free of charge and can be done at the same local garages that conduct MOTs. Drivers might choose to combine this with other service appointments (for instance, annual maintenance or tyre changes) to make the most of a trip to the garage. Nonetheless, it’s an extra step that EV drivers will need to remember, and failure to get a required mileage check could result in penalties just as skipping an MOT would.

MOT garages, on the other hand, are poised to play an expanded role. The requirement for mileage verification on new cars means additional business for test centres, potentially millions of EVs coming in solely to have their mileage recorded each year. While this increases throughput, the checks themselves are brief (no full MOT inspection needed for new vehicles, just a reading), so it shouldn’t overload testing facilities in terms of labour. The government has promised to cover the costs of these extra checks, which implies garages will receive compensation for performing the service even though motorists won’t be paying out of pocket. This could be a welcome source of revenue and may also present an opportunity to engage with EV owners who might not otherwise visit a garage in the first few years of ownership (since EVs have less frequent maintenance needs than other cars). Garage technicians may need some additional training or guidance on spotting tampering, but by and large the process aligns with what is already done. Overall, MOT centres will become essential partners in administering the road tax system for electrified vehicles, elevating their role from purely safety inspectors to custodians of accurate mileage data as well.

Future Outlook: Telematics and Alternative Solutions

As the UK embarks on this new road-tax model, it is also looking ahead at how technology might further streamline mileage verification. In the consultation, the government floated the idea of optional telematics or automated reporting systems in the future. In other words, rather than requiring every driver to manually report miles and visit a test centre, vehicles could potentially self-report their mileage electronically. For example, modern cars (especially EVs) often have connectivity features or built-in telematics devices that could transmit odometer readings securely to a central system. The government is investigating tech options whereby drivers or fleet operators could opt in to have their car automatically report its mileage to the DVLA, eliminating the need for a physical check [Electrifying.com]. Such a system could be convenient and also reduce the chance of human error or fraud, since data could be pulled directly from the vehicle.

However, officials have made it clear that privacy and simplicity are guiding principles in the design of eVED. The proposed scheme notably does not involve any GPS tracking or real-time monitoring of when or where people drive, it is only concerned with the total mileage over a period, not driving behaviour. Any high-tech solution introduced in the future would be voluntary (at least initially) and would focus solely on mileage counts. The Treasury has reassured drivers that they will not be asked to install invasive trackers that record detailed trip data; the interest is only in the odometer reading itself [Electrifying.com]. This stance is meant to address public concerns about “Big Brother” surveillance or loss of privacy. For now, the default approach remains manual reporting and MOT-centre verification, which are methods familiar to drivers and administratively straightforward. But as vehicle connectivity becomes more common and public confidence in data handling grows, it’s conceivable that automated mileage reporting could play a bigger role in the years to come, further reducing the burden on drivers and test centres alike.

It’s important to note that the eVED policy (including the MOT-based verification process) is still at the consultation stage as of late 2025. The government’s consultation on how exactly to implement this system is open until March 2026, during which stakeholders, from industry groups to ordinary motorists, can provide feedback and suggestions. The details may be refined before the final scheme is rolled out. Nonetheless, the broad outlines are in place: starting 2028, electric car owners will pay tax per mile, and MOT garages will be key players in keeping that system honest by logging accurate mileage readings. This approach will make the humble MOT centre an unlikely but pivotal part of Britain’s journey toward a new era of road taxation for EVs. As the UK seeks to modernise its tax infrastructure for a greener future, all eyes will be on how effectively these measures can be implemented and whether they strike the right balance between revenue, fairness, and encouraging the continued uptake of electric vehicles.

What do you think of this proposal? Do you see this as an opportunity for additional business or are worried about time taken to do this task?