Electric cars will lose their exemption from paying the Congestion Charge from December 25 under Labour Party Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Drivers in England face £4,410 charge after December rule change
New road charges will see thousands pay £4,410 extra as drivers and motorists brace for tougher driving rules. Electric cars will lose their exemption from paying the Congestion Charge from December 25 under Labour Party Mayor Sadiq Khan.
A recent Freedom of Information request found that the increase in road charging from £15 to £18 is estimated to bring in between £415million and £455million for Transport for London, with electric car drivers being impacted the most.
The financial windfall will primarily come from removing the current exemption for electric vehicles and raising the daily charge by 20 per cent.
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The charging zone operates between 7am and 6pm on weekdays and noon to 6pm at weekends and bank holidays.
Once the new rate takes effect next year, motorists who drive into central London five days per week will face annual costs of £4,140 once the new rate takes effect, based on 46 working weeks per year.
Tom Jervis, consumer editor at Auto Express, urged EV drivers to establish Auto Pay accounts promptly to secure these savings.
“For someone driving into London five days a week, this is a difference of £18.75 over a week, and £862.50 over a year on the current charge of £15 a day,” he stated.
“EV buyers have already lost their exemption from the luxury car tax, and now this,” Jervis said.
Jervis added: “If we’re serious about encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles, we need consistent, long-term incentives, not policies that penalise those who’ve already done the right thing. Electric vehicle owners should be supported, not squeezed.”
Federation of Master Builders warns: “If these changes go ahead, many of us could be paying more to work in the city. Builders already face rising costs from ULEZ, tunnel tolls and fuel.
“We know that charging trades to drive into London doesn’t just hit us – it risks putting up the cost of building and retrofitting homes too.
“And with more restrictions planned for residents’ discounts, even parking up locally could become harder if you don’t own an EV. “