Pickup truck owners may benefit from a classification loophole as Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), or road tax, rises for most drivers starting April 1. This change affects petrol, diesel, and electric vehicle owners with higher tax bands across the board.
Key VED Rate Increases
The standard annual VED rate for cars registered after 2017 climbs from £195 to £200. High-emission new petrol and diesel cars face steeper first-year charges, jumping from £5,490 to £5,690 for vehicles emitting over 255g/km of CO2. Models like the Ferrari Purosangue, certain Porsche Cayenne variants, Ford Mustang 5.0 V8, and Ford Ranger 2.0 TD EcoBlue fall into this category.
The Expensive Car Supplement, or luxury car tax, also rises from £420 to £435 annually.
Ford Pickup Trucks’ Commercial Exemption
Ford indicates that many of its pickup trucks qualify as light goods vehicles for tax purposes. This status exempts them from standard car VED rules and the Expensive Car Supplement. Instead, these vehicles incur a flat annual VED rate of £345.
GOV.UK confirms this light goods vehicle rate applies to vehicles registered on or after March 1, 2001, including zero-emission models.
First-Year Tax Details and Broader Impacts
From April 2026, the maximum first-year VED for top-emitting new cars reaches £5,690. A prior adjustment in April 2025 raised the top first-year rate from £2,745 to £5,490. This upfront charge, paid upon first registration, scales with CO2 emissions—from £10 for the lowest emitters to £5,690 at the high end.
Even minimal emissions trigger costs: vehicles with 1g/km CO2 face £110, average petrol cars (143g/km) around £560, and diesels (164g/km) near £1,360. Buyers must weigh these against fuel, insurance, and maintenance expenses.
Existing vehicles see milder annual increases to £200 from the second year. Electric vehicles now pay VED, with a pay-per-mile scheme slated for April 2028.
