The top 10 best road tax-exempt cars 2025
March 13, 2025 by Tom Wiltshire
If you’re looking for a car that won’t cost you a penny in road tax, your options are much more limited now than they were a few years ago.
Where in years gone by any number of hybrid, plug-in hybrid or even some petrol and diesel cars attracted absolutely no VED (vehicle excise duty, also known as road tax) nowadays there’s only one kind of car that gets off scot-free – those powered by electricity.
And even that won’t last much longer. Road tax changes coming into force in April 2025 mean that even fully electric cars will be liable to the same yearly charge as petrol, diesel and hybrid alternatives. It’s not all stick and no carrot, though – EVs will still pay nothing for their first year of road tax, where combustion-engined cars still pay a rate based on their CO2 emissions – ranging from £10 to nearly £3,000.
From this date, electric cars will also be subject to the same expensive car surcharge – where vehicles costing more than £40,000 pay an additional £425 annually in years two to five of ownership. Make no mistake – EVs won’t be anywhere near as much of a tax break as they have been previously, though they will still make by far the most cost-effective company cars.
Whether you want to get in early and beat the tax rise, or if you just want to know which electric cars are worth buying, pricey yearly bill or not, you’re in the right place. We’ve tested all of them and put together the below list of ten fantastic electric cars that pay zero road tax at the time of writing. There’s something for every budget as well as cars of all sizes and shapes, so you should be able to find something to suit no matter your needs.
Best cars for zero road tax in 2025
Small cars
Small SUVs
Executive cars
Large SUVs
Sporty cars
The best small cars for zero road tax
Citroen e-C3
Best for: small and cute on a tight budget
The Citroen e-C3 isn’t going to win any awards for its long range, its premium interior or its good looks any time soon. But it does do many things extremely well. It’s incredibly affordable, for one – at less than £22,000 it’s barely half the price required to activate the expensive car supplement.
It’s also really capable considering that price tag. An official range of 199 miles on a charge may not be hugely impressive, but at around 150 miles in the real world it’s more than enough for most uses. The interior’s also far nicer than it needs to be for the price, and superbly user-friendly – not always a given in modern, tech-heavy electric cars. Thanks to Citroen’s ‘Advanced Comfort’ suspension, it’s also brilliant over bumps.
MG4 EV
Best for: being surprisingly great to drive
The MG4 EV is a fantastic value proposition, being around the same size as a Volkswagen ID3 but more than £10,000 cheaper. And it’s not like you’re getting a car that feels like it’s totally bargain-basement, either. Sure, there are areas of the MG4’s interior that are decidedly cheap and nasty, but for the most part it feels modern, solid and well-designed.
It’s also surprisingly good to drive. With a powerful electric motor, rear-wheel drive and suspension that’s just the right blend between sporty and comfortable, you can really enjoy sticking it into corners – without feeling like you’re being punished as soon as you hit a pothole.
The best small SUVs for zero road tax
Kia EV3
Best for: long range
The Kia EV3 follows on from the spectacularly good EV6 and EV9 (below) and offers a lower-priced alternative that’s still incredibly easy to recommend. The entry-level model costs a very reasonable £32,000 or so, but step up just a couple thousand more and you can get the big battery model, which is capable of up to 375 miles on a charge.
No matter which version you get, there’s a straightforward interior with a great infotainment system and nice easy-to-use switchgear. Though the EV3 isn’t as much fun to drive as some of its rear-wheel drive alternatives, it’s still quiet and comfy, and has plenty of space for a small family and all their kit and clobber.
Volvo EX30
Best for: Scandi style
The Volvo EX30 was the Carwow Car of the Year back in 2023 and it’s easy to see why. For a very reasonable price tag you get that posh Volvo badge, a classy interior and a fantastic electric powertrain, making this feel like an absolute bargain.
Most versions come in at well under the £40,000 mark so won’t attract the expensive car supplement – the high-performance Twin Motor powertrain is over this mark, but the ideal combination of Plus trim and the Extended Range battery is just over £39,000. Just make sure you get on with the EX30’s interior – everything’s driven through the central touchscreen, with precious few physical controls.
The best executive cars for zero road tax
Tesla Model 3
Best for: technology
The Tesla Model 3 is a mid-sized saloon car acting as a really convincing electric alternative to the likes of the BMW 3 Series or Mercedes C-Class – and as a company car it’s much more affordable than either. With the base model just nipping in under £40,000, it’ll be exempt from the expensive car supplemental tax, but you will need to spend more if you want the super long-range model – the best one can do 436 miles on a charge, which is fantastic.
The Model 3 is as high-tech as it gets inside, with almost no physical switchgear – you even select Park, Reverse or Drive from a slider on the touchscreen. The flip side is that it’s a bit difficult to use if you’re a technophobe, but if you love gimmicks and extras then you’ll love all the Easter Eggs hidden in the infotainment.
BMW i5 Touring
Best for: ultimate comfort and luxury
Okay, so the BMW i5 definitely isn’t sneaking under the expensive car supplement threshold – the Touring model starts at nearly £70,000, making it a definite luxury item. But like the best luxury items, it’s definitely worth the money. For starters, it’s sublime to drive – despite weighing as much as a medium-sized moon, it tackles corners spectacularly well yet remains calm, comfortable and composed on the motorway.
The Touring – or estate – model gets a really practical boot, too, with plenty of flexible space for large or bulky items as well as room for four tall adults in comfort. A maximum range of 365 miles on a charge – not the best, but still very competitive – is the icing on the cake.
Best large SUVs for zero road tax
Skoda Enyaq
Best for: just getting on with it
Skoda is well known for making cars that are just really sensible in the best possible way. The Enyaq is one such car. It’s not boring – more like that reliable friend, who may not be the life of the party but still turns up, has a great time and then helps clean up all the sick at the end of the night.
The Enyaq is great to drive, being a good all-rounder that’s decent in the corners, comfortable over bumps and capable of a nice long range in between charges. It’s also packed full of clever touches that make life just a bit easier – all part of Skoda’s ‘Simply Clever’ ethos.
Kia EV9
Best for: an electric seven-seater
The EV9 is Kia’s largest electric car, and it definitely makes an impression with its blocky silhouette and spaceship looks. It has a long range on a charge, up to 349 miles from the best model, and can top up at super-fast rates to make long journeys more palatable.
If you need an electric car to carry a lot of people there are few options as good as the Kia EV9. It gets seven seats as standard, with room for adults in all of them. There are some downsides – badge snobbery is a real factor when you’re spending this much money on a Kia, and there are some usability snaggles particularly when it comes to the central climate control screen. But these are minor things.
The best sporty cars for zero road tax
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Best for: the proper hot hatchback experience
It may seem odd to say that an electric SUV like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 provides an experience like a hot hatchback, but it really does. Hyundai has performed some magic with software, meaning that if you slip it into the right drive mode then the Ioniq 5 N acts like it has a petrol engine and a real gearbox – right down to the generated sounds.
Combine that with a frankly insane amount of power (more than 600hp) and a chassis that’s capable of holding a tremendous amount of speed in the bends and you have a car that’s a real unexpected performance car champion.
Porsche Taycan
Best for: grace and pace
The Porsche Taycan might just be the ultimate electric car. It’s amazing to drive, with so much communication from the steering wheel and a powertrain that seems to just do exactly what you want. The electric motors on offer range from pretty quick to unbelievably fast, but all Taycans have four doors and a surprising amount of practicality from something that looks so slinky.
With performance that beats most sports cars, the practicality of a good saloon car and interior quality up there with the luxury brands, it really is difficult to beat a Taycan. No wonder the only way most companies attempt to compete is with value – the Taycan is far from a cheap car.
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