Overview
- London’s Congestion Charge has risen to £18 a day and the Cleaner Vehicle Discount ended on December 25, with registered electric cars eligible for a 25% Auto Pay discount (£13.50) and electric vans/HGVs/quadricycles 50% (£9).
- The DVSA will add CPR and defibrillator questions to the theory test from early 2026, and from spring 2026 only learners will be able to book their practical tests to curb bot-led resales.
- Government-backed pilots of self-driving passenger services are being brought forward to spring 2026, permitting small-scale trials without a safety driver under the existing AV framework.
- From April 2026, Benefit-in-Kind on electric company cars rises to 4%, VED and the HGV levy are uprated with inflation, and the Expensive Car Supplement threshold for zero-emission vehicles increases to £50,000.
- The fuel duty freeze holds until September 2026 before a staggered reversal of the 5p cut, and Motability leases face VAT and insurance premium tax from July 2026, with the scheme estimating around £400 higher average advance payments.