Congestion charges, clean air zones and ultra-low emission zones are in place all over the UK now, with London being one of the biggest adopters of these charges and measures.
While the stated aim is to reduce emissions and traffic congestion, it does have a clear impact on fleets for route planning, costs and their own emissions targets too.
Which is why the news that London’s congestion charge is set to rise by 20% as well as the removal of the 100% ‘cleaner vehicle’ discount from 2nd January 2026 has a big impact on fleets and drivers alike.
Electric vans and HGVs will now receive a 50% discount rather than 100%, with electric cars receiving a 25% discount.
While London’s congestion charge and ULEZ may garner the most attention, there are clean air zones and ultra-low emission zones in major cities across the UK.
Fleets and drivers have been expecting changes to those schemes and zones since their initial introduction and as with many of these things, Transport for London’s decision to increase the charge and remove the full EV discount in favour of a 50% discount could be replicated in other cities.
It also follows news that EVs could soon face a new road tax, with reports suggesting the government is exploring a pay-per-mile charge for EVs from 2028 – and you can read more about that here.
For fleets considering switching (or already in the process of switching) to EVs, it’s another factor in the decision moving forward.
