Tusker has pledged its support for the BVRLA’s #SeeTheBenefit campaign, which is urging the Chancellor to keep Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rates low after the current 2024/25 cut-off.  

Paul Gilshan, Tusker CEO, said that continuing with low BiK for EVs will encourage drivers to go electric who otherwise couldn’t afford to make the switch

The campaign launched earlier this month and includes a July event in Westminster that will educate MPs on the importance of maintaining attractive BiK rates to drive the momentum of EV adoption post-2025. This will in turn support the Government’s net zero target.  

The BVRLA has highlighted that nearly 60% of electric vehicles on UK roads are company-registered while 80% of salary sacrifice orders are for battery electric vehicles due to their appealing low tax rates.  

This is reinforced by Tusker’s data, which reveals that its own salary sacrifice car benefit scheme has enabled a widespread move to electric and low-emission vehicles over the past two years – ULEVs now account for 90% of Tusker’s current order bank.  

But both the BVRLA and now Tusker have stressed that the uncertainty caused by the lack of BiK foresight beyond 2024/25 could jeopardise future take-up and say that a more long-term view on BiK taxation is needed for EV adoption to remain at the heart of car benefit schemes.  The Government’s axing of the Plug-in Car Grant to focus on EV charging investment has also increased concerns over whether BiK will be kept low in the future.

Tusker CEO Paul Gilshan commented: “Low BiK rates have done exactly what the Government intended, kickstarted the move to electric for many drivers but there is still so much more work to do as we continue to drive this shift, particularly for mass-market drivers.   

“So, continuing with low BiK for EVs will encourage those that cannot afford electric to switch from diesel or petrol to electric for the first time,” he outlined.   

Tusker is also encouraging companies to write to their local MP using BVRLA’s pre-written letter to add further weight to the campaign prior to the Autumn Budget. The online letter is quick to fill out and issue to MPs, and will raise the profile of the #SeeTheBenefit campaign.