Martin Lewis has given electric car owners a simple way to get another year’s worth of free road tax, but only if they act quickly.

The DVLA is set to make a number of changes to vehicle excise duty (VED), better known as road tax, at the start of April 2025, with the biggest alteration being the end of the exemption for electric car owners.

However, posting a clip of his ITV programme to his page on the social media platform X, Martin shared a way in which drivers can avoid paying the fee until 2026.

He explained: “Have you got an electric vehicle? If so, you will start to pay duty on it, usually about £200 a year, from the start of April. But, if you go onto Gov.uk now, and you re-tax it now while it’s free, that will last a year.

“And you can do that even if it isn’t a year since you last taxed it – even if it was two months since you last went and taxed it!”

Whilst the tax changes will mean that electric vehicle owners will eventually need to pay the fee in order to keep their car on the roads without the risk of a fine of up to £1,000, drivers who renew early can avoid the charge for another year.

According to the DVLA, drivers are able to renew their vehicle’s road tax up to two months before it expires, meaning EV owners who are set to pay in April or May 2025 can register their car now before the exemption ends.

The trick can help motorists typically avoid paying £195 for road tax – the standard flat rate that is also applied to petrol, diesel, and hybrid models from their second to 40th year on the road.

Later in the clip, Martin noted that his director tried the tip out for himself and was easily able to get another year of free road tax in the final weeks of the exemption.

He added: “Regardless of its expiry, if you’ve got an electric vehicle, go and tax it now and you’ll extend the time which it’s tax-free.

“My director, Richard, is telling me, because we did it on the show around six weeks ago, he’s done it already, and it works. Thank you, Richard!”

In addition to charging motorists £195 per year for electric cars that are already on the roads, the DVLA’s changes will make buying a new EV slightly more expensive.

From April 1 2025, new electric models will be subject to a £10 tax fee and, if they have a retail price of more than £40,000, will also be subject to the expensive car supplement from the second to sixth year its on the roads.

As a result, drivers would have to pay an additional £425 in road tax during each of these years, bringing the total charge to £620 per year.