The electric vehicle (EV) industry has criticized Chancellor Rachel Reeves for not reducing the 20% VAT on public EV charging to match the 5% rate on home charging in the recent budget. Despite a boom in electric car sales, driven largely by heavy discounting from manufacturers to clear unsold stock, industry leaders argue that this price-cutting isn’t sustainable. EV advocates, including Quentin Willson of FairCharge, contend that Reeves’ budget missed an opportunity to support private EV buyers, while freezing fuel duty effectively subsidizes fossil fuels. Critics say the government’s emphasis on fines for manufacturers failing to meet EV sales targets—rather than consumer incentives—threatens the ambitious zero-emission goals set by previous administrations.
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