Public charging specialist Fastned is offering EV drivers a free charging session to highlight the tax divide between public and private charging costs.
As VAT on domestic electricity is temporarily cut to 0%, Fastned has launched a “nationwide driveway” campaign offering motorists a £25 charging credit at its network of 41 ultra-rapid hubs.
The £25 credit is equivalent to the average cost of a public charging session on the Fastned network and can be claimed via the Fastned app between October 1 and October 2. Drivers will then have three days to use the credit towards a charging session.
The offer is part of a drive to highlight the “driveway divide” that leaves some drivers paying up to 10 times more for their charging than others.
While VAT on home electricity has been cut from 5% to 0%, it remains at 20% on public charging – a disparity Fastned says deepens the “stark” divide between those who can charge at home and those who reply on public charging.
The operator is among voices calling for the Government to acknowledge this divide and take action to address it.
Tom Hurst, UK country director at Fastned, said: “There is already a driveway divide between electric vehicle users who can charge at home and those who can’t, which risks making the switch to electric harder for millions of people. Today’s VAT change makes this divide even more striking.
“An electric car should be an option for everyone, regardless of whether you have a driveway, which is why, through our ‘Fastned is MY driveway’ campaign, we’re turning our network into a nationwide driveway for EV drivers and calling on the Government to level the playing field by bringing VAT on public charging down to zero.”
To claim the credit, drivers need to enter the code VAT2026 in the Fastned app between 00:01 on October 1 and 23:59 on October 2. They will then have three days to use the charging credit once applied to their account.
Earlier this year a tax tribunal ruled that energy used for public charging already qualifies for the same reduced 5% VAT rate as domestic electricity. However, the 20% rate remains in place while HMRC appeals against the ruling.
