Fair Motorhome Tax
Below is an infographic championed by the NCC as part of the Fair Motorhome Tax campaign.
Some Key Facts
New motorhomes with a Euro 6d/2 engine registered after 1 September 2019 are no longer subject to a commercial vehicle vehicle tax band in the UK. For the purposes of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) they are now taxed as a car and the tax payable on first registration has been increased by 705%. Motorhomes are derived from commercial base vehicles and apply the car taxation system is no an appropriate measure.
A Motorhome is not a Car
A motorhome is an M1, SA special purpose vehicle and is derived from a commercial base vehicle (category N). Base vehicles are constructed by commercial vehicle manufacturers and are converted into motorhomes at final stage.
Lack of Engine Choice
As motorhomes are drived from commercial base vehicles, new owners have limited engine choice. 97% of ALL new motorhomes are based on just four engine choices – one for each base vehicle manufacturer, all of which are diesel and have similar emissions output. By comparison, a single Ford Focus car model has four engine choices alone!
97% of motorhomes are based on just 4 engine types
- Fiat
- Peugeot
- VW
- Ford
Any tax incentive to help encourage motorhome buyers to purchase purchase cleaner vehicles is irrelevant until there is a greater choice of low-emission commercial base vehicle options available to motorhome manufacturers/converters.
Meeting Climate Change Targets
Emission regulations are important, and it is right that new vehicle owners are encouraged to choose cleaner, more efficient engines. Both the car and light commercial van industries have been consulted on the impact of the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) and their implementation dates have been delayed. The motorhome industry has no such assistance from Government.
Compared with cars and light commercial vehicles, motorhomes represent the smallest group of vehicle, travelling 3,000 miles per annum on average and contributing just 0.22% in emissions.
Confusion & Market Distortion
Dealerships and consumers will see three identical looking motorhomes but each will have different emission approvals and rates of vehicle tax. This will bring confusion for potential motorhome buyers who may change their minds, which in turn will impact on future sales and orders. Choosing a motorhome with the cleanest, most efficent engine will mean paying significantly more road tax in the first six years.
European manufacturers are seeking heavy duty emissions approval to bypass the higher UK road tax, leading to potential job losses throughout the UK motorhome industry.
