End to discounts for zero-emission vehicles

The congestion charge will go up for drivers who previously had a discount

Motorists who currently benefit from a hefty discount for driving zero-emissions vehicles in London's congestion zones will have to pay the standard charge from the end of next year.

Transport for London (TfL) announced that from 25 December 2025, drivers who previously paid £10 for a year's exemption from congestion charges will have to pay the standard £15 daily fee.

The move has been criticised by environmental groups and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) but is supported by the Green Party.

TfL said the discount had been part of a phased scheme to tackle London’s toxic air.

Currently 112,318 cars and vans are registered for the congestion charge discount

It said that ending the discount "will maintain the effectiveness of the congestion charge, which is in place to manage traffic and congestion in the heart of London".

Currently 112,318 cars and vans are registered for the discount, according to figures obtained from TfL. Of these, 15,782 are private hire vehicles.

Oliver Lord from campaign group Clean Cities called the change "puzzling".

"By offering incentives to businesses for electric vehicles, we not only promote greener transport but we also draw a line against the most polluting freight vehicles."

Alex Pierce, from electric car support company GoinGreen, said "environmentally and economically, this makes no sense".

He said customers who buy electric cars "because they are cheaper and hassle free when you want to go into central London...will go back to buying diesel or hybrid which is worse for the environment".

The FSB said the scheme should be extended to help business owners who already face heavy costs and have invested in electric infrastructure.

Transport for London (TfL) says the discount was part of a phased scheme to tackle "London's toxic air"

A TfL spokesperson added: "More than 52,000 grants have been approved for Londoners, businesses and charities to switch to cleaner vehicles, with 70,000 fewer non-compliant vehicles now seen driving on London's roads."

City Hall Conservatives declined to comment on the issue.

But the Green Party said these incentives "were always going to be time limited".

Caroline Russell AM said: "If every Londoner drives an electric car we won't tackle congestion, air pollution or the climate crisis.

"The best solution to any concerns about unfairness in changes like this is to move to smart, fair road user charging."