EVs begin paying London congestion charge as discounts are scaled back

Electric vehicle drivers are now paying the London congestion charge for the first time, as Transport for London (TfL) introduces a new tiered pricing structure and higher daily fees.

From January 2, the congestion charge increased from £15 to £18, with tiered discounts available for vehicles registered to Auto Pay. The previous 100% Cleaner Vehicle Discount for EVs has ended. Electric cars now receive a 25% Auto Pay discount, reducing the daily charge to £13.50, while electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles qualify for a 50% discount.

TfL has confirmed that discounts will be reduced further from March 4, 2030, with electric cars receiving a 12.5% discount and electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles receiving 25%.

Changes have also been made to the residents’ discount. Existing residents registered before March 1, 2027 will retain the 90% discount regardless of fuel type. New applicants after that date will only qualify for the full discount if driving an EV.

Since the Cleaner Vehicle Discount was introduced in 2019, EV registrations have risen almost sixfold to more than 116,000, accounting for close to 20% of vehicles entering the zone. TfL estimates that without the new measures, more than 2,000 additional vehicles could enter the charging zone on an average weekday.

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