UK Treasury papers reveal telematics, GPS trackers that log every journey, could power the new Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), confirming fears that road pricing masks broader vehicle monitoring.
The consultation document, launched ahead of the April 2028 rollout, openly floats telematics systems to collect real-time GPS data, trip histories, and speeds for the 3p-per-mile EV charge (1.5p for plug-ins). Officials "welcome views" on adoption, framing it as efficient enforcement while insisting no mandatory trackers yet—drivers declare mileage annually via DVLA alongside VED, reconciled at MOT with refunds or debts rolled into next year's tax. Privacy alarms blare regardless, as voluntary black boxes invite data grabs echoing insurance "telematics" policies that already share location streams with third parties.
This slips out amid Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget push to claw back £12 billion lost from vanishing fuel duty, hitting 500,000 London EVs alone at average 8,500 miles yearly for £255 bills half petrol drivers' £480. Critics slam it as a "poll tax on wheels," projecting 440,000 fewer EV sales by 2030, while Reeves ties it to pothole fixes despite EVs already facing per-kWh public charger levies.
Telematics opens the door to total surveillance. Privacy dies quietly at 3p a mile.