Electric vehicles to pay for roads from April 1

The free ride for EV owners is coming to an end. (Image: Getty)

Tue, 16 Jan 2024

The government has confirmed that electric and hybrid vehicles will have to pay road user charges from April 1.The exemption scheme, which was introduced in 2009 in a bid to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), was always meant to end on March 31.In a statement on Tuesday, transport minister Simeon Brown confirmed this was the case, ruling out any further extensions.According to a 2021 explainer from the Ministry of Transport, the average EV driver stood to save about $800 a year by not paying road user charges (RUCs), which are app...

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