London's Congestion Charge will rise from £15 to £18 from January 2, while electric vehicles will lose their full exemption for the first time. Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the changes, which will see electric car drivers pay £13.50 daily from 2026 – a 25% discount – while electric vans and lorries receive a 50% discount at £9.
The new tiered system requires drivers to register on Transport for London's AutoPay system to receive discounts.
Those discounts will shrink further from March 2030, dropping to just 12.5% for electric cars and 25% for vans and lorries. Residents who apply for the 90% discount from March 2027 onwards will need to drive electric vehicles.
Electric vehicle numbers in the congestion zone have surged nearly sixfold since 2019, now accounting for nearly a fifth of all vehicles by year's end.
Khan defended the overhaul as necessary to prevent congestion from worsening. "Keeping London moving by reducing congestion is vital for our city and for our economy," he said. "While the congestion charge has been a huge success since its introduction, we must ensure it stays fit for purpose, and sticking to the status quo would see around 2,200 more vehicles using the congestion charging zone on an average weekday next year."
Industry backlash
The changes sparked immediate criticism from motoring groups and unions. Automobile Association (AA) president Edmund King told The Independent: "This is a backward step which sadly will backfire on air quality in London."
Steve Garelick from GMB Union (Britain's General Union) London Region warned the policy would hurt working Londoners. "Couriers, private hire drivers, key workers – the people that keep London moving – are being punished for doing the right thing," he told The Independent.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
