The Mileage Tracker Built for UK Electric Car Drivers
Here is the part most EV drivers do not realise: HMRC pays the same mileage rate for an electric car as for a petrol one. You claim 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles while charging costs you a few pence per mile at home. That gap is exactly why the mileage method is so generous for electric drivers - and MileClear captures every business mile automatically, applies the HMRC rate, and knows your car is electric.
Why the Mileage Allowance Is a Better Deal in an EV
The Approved Mileage Allowance Payment is designed to cover the whole cost of running a car for business - fuel, wear, servicing, insurance, depreciation - in a single per-mile figure. It is set at 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles in the tax year and 25p after that (the first-tier rate rose from 45p on 6 April 2026). Crucially, that rate does not change based on what your car burns. An electric car claims exactly the same as a diesel.
But an EV does not have a fuel bill. Charging at home on a typical tariff might cost you around 6p to 10p per mile - a fraction of what petrol costs. You are claiming a rate built around petrol-era running costs while paying electric-era energy costs. Over 20,000 business miles that is an £8,000 deduction from your taxable income, worth £1,600 to a basic-rate taxpayer and £3,200 at the higher rate - the same as any driver, but you spent far less to earn it.
As with any claim, HMRC requires a contemporaneous mileage log: a dated record of each journey with start, end, purpose and distance. You cannot reconstruct it from memory at year end. MileClear creates that record automatically every time you drive.
How MileClear Works for Electric Car Drivers
Knows Your Car Is Electric
When you add your vehicle, set it as electric and enter its efficiency in miles per kWh. MileClear treats it as an EV throughout - the same way it uses MPG for a petrol car.
Real Cost Per Mile
Enter your home electricity rate (or use the live suggested rate) and MileClear works out your true running cost per mile from your miles per kWh. You see what each mile actually costs to drive, not a petrol estimate.
Same HMRC Deduction Engine
Your business miles are tracked automatically by GPS and the 55p/25p AMAP rates are applied in real time - identical to a petrol car, because HMRC's rate is the same. Your running deduction total is always on the dashboard.
Find Nearby Chargers
Need a top-up between jobs? MileClear shows public chargers near you, pulled from live charging-network data, right inside the app.
Automatic Drive Detection
MileClear detects when you start driving and begins tracking automatically. No need to remember to open the app before every trip - you confirm or dismiss with one tap.
Self Assessment Export
With Pro, export a PDF mileage log and HMRC self-assessment summary - every trip dated, classified, and with the deduction calculated. Ready for your tax return or your accountant.
Two Ways to Claim in an EV - and Which Usually Wins
1. Simplified mileage (usually best for EVs)
Claim 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 25p after that. It covers everything - energy, insurance, servicing, depreciation - in one figure. Because charging is so cheap, this is usually the more favourable option for electric drivers, and it is the simplest to keep records for. This is the method MileClear calculates for you automatically.
2. Actual costs plus capital allowances
Claim the business share of your electricity, insurance and servicing, plus capital allowances on the car itself. The EV-specific advantage here is the 100% First Year Allowance: a new, unused electric car can be written off in full against your profit in the year you buy it. This can win for a high-value car bought outright - but you cannot combine it with the mileage method on the same vehicle.
Not sure which applies to you? Our EV tax relief guide walks through both methods, company-car benefit-in-kind, VAT, road tax and grants in plain English.
What the Mileage Claim Is Worth in an EV
Take a self-employed driver covering 20,000 business miles a year in an electric car. The mileage deduction is identical to a petrol driver - but look at the gap between what you claim and what your energy actually costs.
Example: 20,000 Business Miles Per Year in an EV
You claim an £8,000 deduction - worth £1,600 in tax at the basic rate, £3,200 at the higher rate - while your home charging for those same miles might cost around £1,600 in energy. The mileage allowance was built for petrol running costs, and as an EV driver you get to keep the difference. The one condition is records: without a mileage log, HMRC can disallow the claim entirely.
MileClear Pro is £4.99 per month or £44.99 per year. Against a saving of £1,600 or more, it pays for itself many times over - and the tracker that produces the log is free forever, with no monthly drive cap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can electric car drivers claim mileage from HMRC?
Yes. HMRC's mileage rate is the same for electric cars as for petrol - 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 25p after (the first-tier rate rose from 45p on 6 April 2026). Because charging is so cheap, the mileage method is often especially generous for EV drivers.
Do EVs get a lower mileage rate than petrol cars?
No. For a personal car used for business, the AMAP rate is fuel-agnostic - an EV claims the same 55p/25p as a diesel. The separate lower Advisory Electricity Rate only applies to company cars where the employer reimburses charging.
Should I claim mileage or actual costs on my electric car?
You pick one per vehicle. Simplified mileage (55p/25p) is usually best for EVs because your charging costs are so low. The actual-cost method lets you claim electricity, insurance and servicing plus capital allowances - and a new EV qualifies for a 100% First Year Allowance, which can win for a high-value car bought outright. You cannot mix the two.
Does MileClear work for electric cars?
Yes. Set your vehicle as electric and enter its miles per kWh. MileClear tracks your business miles, applies the HMRC rates automatically, and works out your real cost per mile from your home electricity rate. You can also find nearby public chargers in the app.
Do electric cars pay road tax now?
Yes, since April 2025 electric cars pay standard Vehicle Excise Duty. It does not affect your mileage claim, but it is a running cost worth budgeting for. Our EV tax relief guide covers it in full.
More on EV and Driver Tax
Start Claiming Your EV Miles Today
Download MileClear free on the App Store. Set your car as electric, and HMRC rates are applied automatically. No credit card required.