Drivers of cars with these older number plates face £600 tax bill

Owners of older vehicles with certain number plates are paying up to £600 annually to use the roads following recent Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) updates. In April, VED fees were revised, leaving nearly every petrol and diesel motorist in the UK bracing for the sting of increased charges.

While the main focus was on the hefty rise in first-year VED rates and the new costs for electric cars, older motors didn't escape unscathed. Under the VED regulations, vintage models registered before 1985 get off scot-free from car tax fees and face no charges.

Motors from 1985 to 2001 have their own VED rates determined by engine size. But for cars post-2001, tax is calculated based on CO2 emissions, with owners of the most polluting vehicles coughing up hundreds each year for road usage.

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Specialists at Cars2Buy have highlighted a stark contrast in VED rates, with CO2 output being crucial in cost assessment, reports the Express.

Cars2Buy clarified: "Cars registered between 2001 and 2017 will continue to be taxed based on their CO2 emissions, with rates ranging from £20 to £600 per year depending on the vehicle's environmental impact."

This means motorists with '01' to '17' number plates could face hefty bills come tax renewal time.The current number plate system assigns different numbers to cars produced in the latter half of a year.

Motorists with vehicles bearing number plates between '51' and '67' are bracing for a hit to their wallets. In stark contrast, owners of newer models registered post-2017 will only be coughing up a modest £195 annually for their Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).

The RAC explained: "VED road tax rates for cars first registered after March 2001 and before April 2017 are split across 13 bands depending on the CO2 emissions of the vehicle. In basic terms, the lower the CO2, the lower the tax band.

"Since 2025 VED rule changes, cars with CO2 emissions below 100g/km no longer qualify for free road tax. This means you now have to pay £20 a year for VED if your car emits up to 100g/km of CO2."

Furthermore, they noted that "Road tax for petrol and diesel cars registered after March 2001 and before April 2017 are broadly the same."

Full list of affected number plates

• 01/51
• 02/52
• 03/53
• 04/54
• 05/55
• 06/56
• 07/57
• 08/58
• 09/59
• 10/60
• 11/61
• 12/62
• 13/63
• 14/64
• 15/65
• 16/66
• 17/67