London congestion charge to be levied on electric vehicles

London’s congestion charge will rise by 20% in January to £18 and electric vehicle drivers will be liable to pay to enter the heart of the capital for the first time.

- Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent

EVs will no longer be exempt from the levy, Transport for London said. Electric car drivers will get a 25% discount, while electric vans and HGVs will pay 50% of the full charge.

Motoring groups criticised the changes as a backward step.

The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said that without the shakeup, another 2,200 vehicles would be driving in the zone on an average weekday, making it no longer fit for purpose. Six times as many electric vehicles - almost 120,000 - are registered to drive in the zone compared with 2019, when the full discount for EVs was introduced. It was scheduled to expire at the end of the year.

Khan said: “Keeping London moving by reducing congestion is vital for our city and for our economy.