Green Ownership Tax for EVs in Denmark

What is the green ownership tax?

The green ownership tax is the annual fee that owners and leaseholders of EVs pay to the Danish Motor Vehicle Agency (Motorstyrelsen). It was introduced as part of the political agreement on the green transition of the transport sector — historically, EVs were fully exempt from ownership tax, but as the EV has moved from niche to mainstream, the exemption has been phased out step by step.

It's important to distinguish between two terms that are often confused:

- Green ownership tax (grøn ejerafgift): The current CO2-based tax paid by EVs and newer petrol/diesel cars. Calculated based on the car's fuel type and energy efficiency. - Weight tax (vægtafgift): The older weight-based tax that still applies to vehicles registered before 1 July 1997.

For virtually all EVs today, the green ownership tax is what applies. The tax is charged twice a year, so you pay half at a time — typically via PBS/Betalingsservice or directly through online banking. Rates and calculation methods are set in legislation and administered by Motorstyrelsen via skat.dk (retrieved 2026-05-08).

2026 rates for EVs

In 2026, the green ownership tax for a typical EV is DKK 920 per year. That corresponds to DKK 460 per half-year, or approximately DKK 77 per month if you spread the amount evenly across the year.

The rate applies to most EVs on the Danish market — whether you drive a small city EV like a Hyundai Inster or a large SUV like a Tesla Model Y. This is one of the major advantages of EVs: where petrol and diesel cars get a higher ownership tax the more they emit, EVs sit at a flat, low rate.

Exact rates may vary slightly depending on the car's registration date and specific energy class, and the Tax Authority can adjust rates via the annual finance act. This is because there are fine distinctions in the law — for example for the very earliest EVs or for plug-in hybrids, which have their own rate. For the precise rate for your specific car, always check skat.dk, but DKK 920 per year is the figure to plan for with an ordinary newer EV in 2026.

Source: skat.dk — Grøn ejerafgift (retrieved 2026-05-08).

Worked examples — what does it cost in practice?

It's easiest to understand what the tax means for you by seeing it in context. Below are three concrete examples — a small EV, a larger family SUV, and a direct comparison against an equivalent mid-range petrol car.

Example 1: Small city EV — Hyundai Inster (42 kWh, ~135 hp)

- Annual green ownership tax: DKK 920 - Semi-annual billing: DKK 460 × 2 payments - Monthly equivalent: 920 / 12 ≈ DKK 76.70 per month - Versus a comparable petrol city car (e.g. Toyota Yaris 1.5 hybrid): typically DKK 1,500–2,500/year in green ownership tax - Tax saving alone: roughly DKK 600–1,600/year

Example 2: Family SUV — Tesla Model Y (~75 kWh, ~230 hp)

- Annual green ownership tax: DKK 920 - Semi-annual billing: DKK 460 × 2 payments - Monthly equivalent: ≈ DKK 76.70 per month - Versus a comparable petrol SUV (e.g. Volkswagen Tiguan 1.5 TSI): typically DKK 3,500–6,000/year in green ownership tax - Tax saving alone: roughly DKK 2,600–5,100/year

Example 3: Head-to-head — VW ID.4 vs. VW Tiguan 1.5 TSI (mid-range SUV)

For a commuter weighing two cars in the same size and price class, the picture over a typical 36-month leasing period looks like this:

- VW ID.4 (EV): 3 × DKK 920 = DKK 2,760 in total green ownership tax across the contract - VW Tiguan 1.5 TSI (petrol): 3 × ~DKK 4,500 ≈ DKK 13,500 in total green ownership tax - Difference over 36 months: ~DKK 10,740 — or about DKK 298 per month in pure tax saving

Note that the EV rate is the same in all three examples — DKK 920/year — even though the cars vary widely in size, weight and power. This is a central difference from the fossil-fuel system, where the tax scales with fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. For petrol and diesel cars, ownership tax rises with usage; for EVs, it's flat and predictable.

The figures for fossil-fuel cars above are typical ranges for newer models (2023–2026) in the Tax Authority's rate table and vary with energy label and registration year. Use the calculator on skat.dk for precise figures for a specific car — it takes under a minute if you have the registration number to hand.

Comparison: EV vs. petrol/diesel vs. plug-in hybrid

Perhaps the most important point is the difference between fuel types. Here is the typical picture for a comparable mid-range car in 2026:

- EV (e.g. Volkswagen ID.4, Skoda Enyaq, Tesla Model Y): ~DKK 920/year - Plug-in hybrid (e.g. VW Tiguan eHybrid, Volvo XC40 Recharge PHEV): typically DKK 1,500–3,000/year, depending on electric range and CO2 emissions - Petrol car (e.g. VW Tiguan 1.5 TSI): typically DKK 3,500–6,000/year - Diesel car (e.g. Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI): typically DKK 4,500–9,000/year — diesel pays both green ownership tax and a diesel equalisation tax (udligningsafgift) on top

For an ordinary commuter switching from a mid-range petrol car to an EV in the same size class, the saving on green ownership tax alone is typically DKK 2,500–5,000/year. Over a 36-month leasing period, that adds up to DKK 7,500–15,000 in saved taxes. You can see current offers with the tax already folded into the monthly price on our private EV leasing list.

It's not the largest line item in a total leasing budget — the monthly payment dominates — but it's a stable, predictable advantage that sits on top of the other running-cost savings of an EV (lower fuel costs, lower service costs). For the full picture, see our guide to EV leasing costs.

Where and when do you pay?

Green ownership tax is billed semi-annually by Motorstyrelsen via the Digital Motor Register (DMR). When a car is registered, a payment arrangement is set up automatically and you receive the bill in your e-Boks or via Betalingsservice.

The two payments fall about half a year apart — the date depends on when the car was first registered. For a newly registered EV where the leasing agreement starts mid-half-year, the first payment is pro-rated for the remainder of the period.

In private leasing, you as the leaseholder are normally registered as the user and therefore receive the bill directly. Some leasing companies invoice the tax as a separate monthly line, while others let you pay Motorstyrelsen directly. Check your contract — it's typically specified under "ongoing owner costs" or similar.

Should green ownership tax affect your choice of car?

Yes and no. The DKK 2,500–5,000/year difference between an EV and a comparable petrol car is real and should factor into your total cost of ownership. But the tax alone doesn't dramatically change the maths — it's the combination of lower fuel costs, lower service costs, and low green ownership tax that makes EV leasing economically competitive.

When comparing private leasing offers on EVs, check whether the tax is included in the advertised monthly price. On evlapp.com/en/lease we automatically spread the tax across 12 months and show you the real total monthly cost — so you compare like with like. To see a full breakdown for a specific car or to dive deeper into the economics of EV leasing, use the related pages below — model pages already have the green ownership tax included in the total price.