Diesel Car Tax UK
2026/27 VED Rates
Diesel cars pay the standard £200/year from year 2, exactly the same as petrol. The diesel-vs-petrol difference only appears in the first-year rate, and only for non-RDE2 diesels, which are taxed one CO2 band higher. RDE2-compliant diesels (almost all diesels sold from 2020 onwards) pay the same first-year rate as a petrol of the equivalent CO2 figure.
£200
Standard rate
Year 2+ same as petrol
£455
Year 1 RDE2
Band G family diesel
£560
Year 1 non-RDE2
Band G, taxed one band up
Diesel first-year rates: RDE2 vs non-RDE2
| Band | CO2 | RDE2 diesel (year 1) | Non-RDE2 diesel (year 1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | 0 g/km | £10 | £10 |
| Band B | 1-50 g/km | £115 | £135 |
| Band C | 51-75 g/km | £135 | £280 |
| Band D | 76-90 g/km | £280 | £365 |
| Band E | 91-100 g/km | £365 | £405 |
| Band F | 101-110 g/km | £405 | £455 |
| Band G | 111-130 g/km | £455 | £560 |
| Band H | 131-150 g/km | £560 | £1,410 |
| Band I | 151-170 g/km | £1,410 | £2,270 |
| Band J | 171-190 g/km | £2,270 | £3,420 |
| Band K | 191-225 g/km | £3,420 | £4,850 |
| Band L | 226-255 g/km | £4,850 | £5,690 |
| Band M | Over 255 g/km | £5,690 | £5,690 |
Year 2 onwards: every diesel pays £200/year (or £640/year if list price over £40k - same as petrol). The first-year diesel premium only affects year 1.
What is RDE2
RDE2 ("Real Driving Emissions step 2") is an EU emissions test standard for diesel vehicles that measures NOx emissions on actual roads rather than only on a laboratory rolling road. To meet RDE2, a diesel must emit no more than 80 mg/km of NOx in the on-road test plus a conformity factor of 1.43.
Almost every diesel car launched in the UK from 2020 onwards meets RDE2 - manufacturers retooled emissions control systems (typically AdBlue SCR plus diesel particulate filter) to comply. Pre-2020 diesels often did not meet RDE2 and are taxed one CO2 band higher for the first-year rate, which can add hundreds of pounds in the upper bands.
To check whether a specific diesel meets RDE2: look at the V5C logbook (DVLA records the standard) or the manufacturer specification sheet. The vehicle's Type Approval certificate is the underlying source.
Related guides
Source: gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables (2026/27 schedule). Verified June 2026.