If you drive into central London, brace yourself: the Congestion Charge is set to go up, and the electric vehicle (EV) exemption is being scrapped.
From 2 January, Transport for London (TfL) plans to increase the daily charge from £15 to £18 — a 20% hike. EVs, which are currently exempt from the charge, will start paying too.
Under the new rules, EV drivers will get a 25% discount if they're registered with Auto Pay — so instead of being free, it’ll cost £13.50 a day. That discount drops to just 12.5% by 4 March 2030, meaning the daily charge will rise to £15.75 if prices don’t go up again.
Why the change? TfL says more people are buying EVs, and keeping the 100% discount would just lead to more traffic and congestion in central London.
Electric vans, HGVs, and quadricycles will get a 50% discount next year, which also drops to 25% in 2030.
TfL argues “It is timely to review whether a further increase is necessary in order to maintain the deterrent effect of the charge.”
A spokesperson continued, “This increase would help to maintain the traffic management effects of the Congestion Charge scheme in central London, support the other aims of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, and meet the Mayor’s aims to improve air quality in London, achieve a net zero carbon city by 2030 and cut congestion in the capital.”
There’s also a change coming to the residents’ discount. From 1 March 2027, only new applicants with EVs will qualify for a 90% discount. If you already have that discount, you can keep it — as long as you renew it every year.
Before anything’s final, TfL is running a 10-week public consultation. It closes on Monday 4 August, so if you’ve got something to say, now’s your chance.
