What Today’s Autumn Budget Means for EV Drivers and InstaVolt

Today’s Autumn Budget delivered several positive steps for the UK’s transition to electric vehicles, alongside important long-term reforms that will shape how drivers use and pay for the road network in the years ahead.

It was a great moment for us, as the BBC chose InstaVolt’s Winchester Superhub as the location to report the budget announcements live to the nation and talk to EV drivers about their reaction.

The Government confirmed a £1.5 billion package to support the UK’s move to electric vehicles. This includes several major measures:

• £1.3 billion in additional funding to extend the Electric Car Grant for another year, reducing upfront EV costs by up to £3,750
• £200 million in additional investment to accelerate the rollout of public charging
• Plans to expand permitted development rights to make home and kerbside charging easier to install
• A long-term move toward 3p pay-per-mile road charging from 2028
• A decision not to apply business rates to public charging bays
• Ongoing work to review public charging costs, looking at electricity prices and options to lower costs for drivers relying on public networks.

These steps represent a clear commitment to expanding access to charging and helping more drivers make the switch to electric.

However, the confirmation of pay-per-mile road charging introduces new questions about predictability, especially for drivers who already pay more to charge because they rely on public networks rather than cheaper home tariffs. Public charging continues to carry a 20% VAT rate, compared with 5% for home energy – a gap that risks widening once mileage-based taxation begins.

For InstaVolt, today’s decision not to impose business rates on public charging bays is a significant and welcome step. It avoids a major new cost at a time when operators are already navigating rising energy prices, high infrastructure costs and long grid-connection timelines. The additional infrastructure investment is also positive, but its impact still depends on faster, more consistent delivery through improved grid connections and planning processes.

The combination of new running-cost pressures for drivers and structural challenges for charging operators means confidence remains fragile. As pay-per-mile moves into consultation clarity will be essential to ensuring the UK’s EV transition continues at pace.

Our CEO, Delvin Lane, said “Today’s Budget takes some welcome steps to support the UK’s EV transition. But as the government moves towards pay-per-mile road taxation, it must ensure the system remains fair and predictable. Drivers without home chargers are already paying more in tax for public charging, and rural and low-income drivers could be disproportionately affected. We urge the government to work closely with the charging and automotive sectors to co-design a future-proof system that maintains incentives to switch to zero-emission vehicles while ensuring sustainable long-term road taxation.”

At InstaVolt, our commitment remains the same: delivering reliable, accessible ultra- rapid charging across the UK and supporting every driver on their journey to cleaner transport. Today’s Budget shows promising intent, but the next phase of policy will determine whether confidence continues to grow or begins to waver.