Exemption for EVs from Congestion Charge to end in new year
TfL is moving forward with plans to end the exemption for electric vehicles (EVs) from the Congestion Charge from January 2026. Instead, drivers of EVs will have a discount apply from an increased standard price.
First launched in 2003, the Congestion Charge required drivers in Central London to pay a daily rate. Its goal was to reduce traffic in some areas and encourage more people to use public transport, cycle, or walk to their destination.
It currently sits at £15 per day, per vehicle, and has been at that rate since 2020. TfL is proposing increasing it to £18 per day from 2nd January 2026. The aim is to encourage even more people out of cars and into the alternatives. Currently, EVs have an exemption from the charge.
TfL has also provided information on how drivers of EVs will be affected. Currently, they are exempt from it but that will change at the end of the year. From 2nd January 2026, TfL is proposing that electric cars registered for Auto Pay benefit from a 25% discount, meaning that they pay £13.50. Drivers of electric vans and electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and electric quadricycles registered for Auto Pay receive a 50% discount, paying £9 a day.
The changes, TfL estimates, would mean 2,200 fewer vehicles on the roads in Central London on an average weekday. It is also consulting on further reductions to Congestion Charge discounts for EVs from 2030. The proposal is that from that year, EVs registered for Auto Pay would only get a 12.5% discount, while for electric vans, HGVs, and quadricycles, it will decrease to 25%.
Stay tuned to EyeOnLondon for the latest news and expert opinions.
Follow us on:
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest videos and updates!
We value your thoughts! Share your feedback and help us make EyeOnLondon even better!
