Electric vans and trucks face congestion charge fees

The 100% discount for EVs will reduce to 25% for cars and 50% for vans and lorries from January 2026. The changes, proposed in spring and now confirmed, will take effect from 2 January 2026 to ensure the Congestion Charge ‘remains effective at managing traffic and congestion within central London’.

From this date, the charge will increase from £15 to £18. TfL said it was a lower than inflation increase and the first rise since 2020.

The Cleaner Vehicle Discount (CVD), which ends on 25 December, is also being axed. Currently, electric vehicles are entitled to a 100% discount under the CVD, subject to registration with TfL.

The first phase of changes cuts this to a 50% discount for electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles registered for Auto Pay, along with a 25% discount for electric cars registered for Auto Pay.

That lasts until 4 March 2030, when the discount falls to 25% for electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles and 12.5% for electric cars registered for Auto Pay in the second phase of changes.

The Sustainable Urban Freight Association said it was deeply disappointed by the decision.

The trade association for freight operators pointed to TfL’s own data that shows only 2.1% of all vehicles on the road in inner London are electric vans – and said introducing a charge for them would undermine the business case for electrifying freight and lead to more diesel vans on London’s roads.

The body said: “Travelling by car in London is a choice. Transport by van and HGV is often not. Other clean freight options can take on some of the mileage from vans and it is disappointing that TfL did not use this announcement to take any positive steps to incentivise uptake of other freight options such as cargo bikes, which can both reduce congestion and pollution across the city.”