Sadiq Khan has announced that a group of drivers previously exempt from London’s Congestion Charge will now have to pay it.
Sadiq Khan has unleashed his latest attack on drivers – and this one seems to confirm that he really must hate cars. The sudden decision to introduce London Congestion Charge fees on electric vehicles from January 2, 2026 is a baffling one.
The London Mayor has been a major advocate for electric cars and, if anything, has encouraged their introduction. In 2019, he announced it was important to “reject fossil fuels” and “embrace an electric evolution”. Just earlier this year, he announced he wanted London to be the “world’s first EV-ready global city”.
Sadiq Khan’s new charges are coming into effect in January (Image: Getty)
Transport for London (TfL) has invested heavily in EVs under Mayor Khan’s rule as the city prepares for the future. TfL has signed deals with companies such as BP and Zest for the installation of EV chargers with a target of up to 60,000 plugs across all 32 London boroughs by the end of the decade.
So if EVs are so important to London’s future and Sadiq Khan’s legacy as Mayor, would slapping a daily tax on those drivers who have made the leap to battery models be a good idea? Probably not.
Ginny Buckley, the chief executive of Electrifying.com seems to agree, arguing that the news sends a “confusing signal”. She explained:“You can’t champion clean air while penalising the vehicles that deliver it.”
After the announcement, Mr Khan said: “We must support Londoners and businesses to use more sustainable travel, so I’m pleased that substantial incentives will remain in place for Londoners who switch to cleaner vehicles, as we work to build a greener and better London for everyone.”
Surely, the biggest incentive Mr Khan could have given was to keep the rates free for electric cars at such a crucial stage.
Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that 386,244 battery electric models have been sold so far in 2025, a 29.9% increase on 2024. These are impressive numbers and a major boost on where these figures were a few years ago.
But, new electric car sales are still dwarfed by petrol models with 814,154 combustion models sold over the first 10 months of the year.
Second-hand sales are also on the up with 80,614 battery electric models swapping hands in Q3, a 44.4% rise.
It’s amazing progress, but it’s easy to forget that used petrol car sales stood at 1,145,148, a 1.9% rise. The reaction hasn’t been good for Sadiq Khan. Toby Poston, Chief Executive of the BVRLA, stressed that EV adoption was at a “fragile stage” and axing the discount could “stall the transition” and “push people away”.
Electric cars have been exempt up until now (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, electric car firms have also called out the move, rightly concerned over what the fees could do for sales.
Matt Galvin, Managing Director of Polestar UK explained: “Whilst we are pleased to see that the Mayor of London is pushing to reduce inner city emissions, to truly accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption, all EVs should be exempt from these charges, and parking discounts in central London must return.”
Sadiq Khan’s latest tax could be the most damaging yet, and it’s not just Londoners but the whole car industry who could feel the impact.
