Charging Electric Vehicles (For Road Use)

It's necessary, where possible, to replace diesel and petrol-fueled vehicles by electrical equivalents. Electric vehicles (EVs) don't produce climate-altering 'greenhouse gases' or health-damaging exhaust emissions. They do, however, use roads. The batteries of EVs, also make them proportionately heavier than diesel/petrol-fueled equivalents. They consequently exert more 'wear and tear' on road surfaces. The UK government currently gets a healthy income from the duties on petrol and diesel fuels. Some of this, is used to pay for the upkeep of roads as well as new builds. EVs, of course, don't pay fuel duties. The Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) consequently advocates the UK Chancellor reforming vehicle taxes. They say, cars and trucks should be charged for each mile travelled on UK roads (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/03/uk-electric-car-drivers-per-mile-vehicle-taxes-campaign-for-better-transport). Charging per mile, could be easily done by using the available tracking of vehicles. Allowing government to know where each vehicle has travelled, however, might be regarded as a bit 'big brother'. Cutting duties on diesel and petrol (there might be calls for doing this, if all vehicles are charged by the mile), would certainly slow down the transition to EVs. The CBT scheme isn't the only one that's been trialled in other parts of the world. For example, the electricity supplied to EVs, could carry an additional surcharge. The annual road tax could be substantially increased. It's clear, however, that the status quo isn't sustainable.