Petrol Car Tax UK
2026/27 VED Rates
Petrol cars first registered from April 2017 pay a CO2-banded first-year rate then the £200 standard rate from year 2 onwards. Mild hybrid petrols (mHEV) are taxed exactly as petrol - the small electrical assist doesn't change the VED classification. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) with low official CO2 figures land in Band B or C, paying £30 to £135 first year.
£200
Standard rate
Year 2 onwards
£270
Average year 1
Band G family car
£5,490
Max year 1
Band M (over 255 g/km)
Petrol first-year rates by CO2 band
| Band | CO2 | Year 1 rate | Typical petrol vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | 0 g/km | £10 | Hydrogen fuel cell (not pure petrol) |
| Band B | 1-50 g/km | £30 | Petrol PHEVs (plug-in hybrid) |
| Band C | 51-75 g/km | £135 | Efficient PHEVs / range extenders |
| Band D | 76-90 g/km | £175 | Small economical petrol cars |
| Band E | 91-100 g/km | £195 | Superminis (1.0 EcoBoost, Up GTI) |
| Band F | 101-110 g/km | £220 | Family hatchbacks (Ford Focus, VW Golf) |
| Band G | 111-130 g/km | £270 | Most family cars (Civic, Octavia, Astra) |
| Band H | 131-150 g/km | £680 | Larger family cars, small SUVs |
| Band I | 151-170 g/km | £1,095 | SUVs, sports saloons (BMW 5 Series 540i) |
| Band J | 171-190 g/km | £1,630 | Large SUVs, hot hatches (Ford Focus ST) |
| Band K | 191-225 g/km | £2,340 | Sports cars (Porsche 911 Carrera, M340i) |
| Band L | 226-255 g/km | £3,300 | High-performance V8 (M3 Competition) |
| Band M | Over 255 g/km | £5,490 | Supercars, large V8/V12 |
What counts as petrol
- - Petrol: pure internal combustion engine, no electrical assist
- - Mild hybrid (mHEV): petrol engine with a small 48V starter-generator. DVLA codes as petrol. Same first-year rate as the equivalent non-hybrid petrol of the same CO2.
- - Full hybrid (HEV / self-charging): petrol engine plus a meaningful electric motor (Toyota Prius, Lexus). DVLA codes as "hybrid electric" for some Schedule purposes, but the CO2-based VED rate is the same as petrol of the equivalent CO2.
- - Plug-in hybrid (PHEV): petrol engine plus a large battery you can plug in. Official CO2 figures often very low (20-50 g/km), so PHEVs land in Band B (£30) or C (£135). The supplement test still applies if list price exceeds £40,000.
- - Range-extender EV: small petrol engine generates electricity for an electric motor. Treated as PHEV / hybrid for VED purposes.
Related guides
Diesel Car TaxRDE2 vs non-RDE2 diesel rates.Electric Car TaxEVs: £10 year 1, £200 year 2+ (since April 2025).Rates by CO2 BandAll 13 bands with petrol and diesel rates side-by-side.£40k Supplement£440/year for 5 years if list price over £40k.Full CalculatorEnter exact CO2 + list price for your trim.Ford FocusMainstream petrol family car worked example.
Source: gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables (2026/27 schedule). Verified May 2026.