Over 100,000 drivers in England face new £15-a-day congestion charge

The date electric vehicle drivers will be forced to pay London’s £15-a-day congestion charge has been revealed. Over 100,000 drivers in London could be affected by the changes, as road users are forced to shell out for a £15-a-day congestion charge in the next 18 months.

Owners of zero-emission models are currently allowed to pay just £10 for an annual exemption from the capital's Congestion Charge Zone. From December 25, 2025 the price will skyrocket up to £15 every single day for all drivers regardless of the emissions from their motors.

A spokesperson for Transport for London said: "The Congestion Charge’s Cleaner Vehicle Discount was part of our phased scheme to tackle London’s toxic air. Ending the Cleaner Vehicle Discount from 25 December 2025 will maintain the effectiveness of the Congestion Charge, which is in place to manage traffic and congestion in the heart of London."

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The AA said the change is "a turkey bone in the throat for EV owners who heeded his call to switch to green vehicles and improve air quality in the capital". Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the motoring group, added: "Cabbies and businesses who have made the switch to electric will now face an extra financial hurdle, that ultimately the consumer will pay.

"Similarly, car reliant households will now pay more. The key question is: has this decision come about because he hasn’t made as much money as he thought from the ULEZ expansion?" From 2019, only zero emission-capable vehicles were exempt from the Congestion Charge.

That was ahead of a second phase tightening allowed only pure electric vehicles to qualify for the discount from October 2021. The ONS predicts VED input to the economy each year, and as half of all new vehicle sold in 2025 are expected to be electric, the government wants to start getting tax revenue from them to hit targets.