The secure data network for UK road-usage charging.
VDCN – the Vehicle Data Communications Network – is a proposed national infrastructure platform that securely connects vehicles, public bodies and mobility services. Our purpose is to provide trusted vehicle telemetry for fair, usage-based road charging and smarter transport policy.
A single, trusted source of truth for vehicle data.
Today, vehicle data is fragmented across manufacturers, telematics providers and apps. Governments and regulators struggle to design fair, future-proof road-usage charging because they cannot rely on a single, secure data source that covers all vehicles, all roads and all operators.
National infrastructure
VDCN is conceived as a national communications network for vehicle telemetry, similar in concept to the data backbone used for smart meters, but focused on road transport.
Standardised access
OEMs and commercial data aggregators connect once to VDCN and meet their obligations to supply verified telemetry for taxation and policy – without bespoke integrations everywhere.
Public-interest first
VDCN is designed to be neutral and regulated, serving public bodies, not private data capture. Charges, duties and obligations are transparent and subject to oversight.
Core services of the Vehicle Data Communications Network.
Collects trusted vehicle data
Securely ingests mileage, odometer and trip summaries from vehicles via manufacturer and data aggregator APIs, applying validation and integrity checks.
Enables road-usage charging
Applies tariffs set by central and local government to generate usage-based charges that align more closely with actual road use.
Generates billing records
Produces tamper-resistant billing records linked to registered keepers and exports them securely to DVLA and other authorised systems.
Supports wider mobility innovation
With appropriate governance, the network can support insurers, fleets and cities in building safer, smarter mobility services using trusted vehicle data.
Built for government, industry and drivers.
VDCN provides different value for each part of the ecosystem, while keeping a single, consistent source of truth for vehicle usage and charges.
Government & regulators
Department for Transport, HM Treasury, DVLA, devolved administrations and local authorities can design and administer road-usage charging using accurate, trusted data.
OEMs & data providers
Vehicle manufacturers and commercial data aggregators connect once to VDCN, meeting their obligations securely via common standards and governance.
Drivers & fleets
Keepers and fleet managers use the Keeper Portal to see usage, understand charges, manage vehicles and raise disputes – with clear evidence for every record.
Design principles behind VDCN.
- Public-interest first – serving public bodies and citizens, not exploiting driver data.
- Secure by design – modern encryption, strong identity, full audit trails.
- Neutral & regulated – operated under licence with transparent price control.
- Technology-agnostic – works with any compliant vehicle, gateway or API.
- Future-ready – supports EVs, HGVs, connected vehicles and emerging mobility models.
VDCN is intended to be infrastructure that the country can depend on for decades: stable, predictable and governed. While specific tariffs and policies may change, the need for a secure, trusted vehicle data backbone will only grow as transport electrifies and digitises.
Get involved in shaping VDCN.
VDCN is designed to support national conversations on how the UK should modernise road taxation and mobility. We welcome engagement from policy makers, regulators, OEMs, data providers and other stakeholders.
Government & regulators
Request a technical or policy-focused briefing on how a vehicle data backbone can support road-usage charging and wider mobility outcomes.
Request briefingOEMs & data providers
Discuss integration patterns, data standards and certification approaches for connecting your systems to VDCN.
Discuss integration