Motorists in London will have to pay up to £18 per day to use the roads as part of new daily charges introduced by Mayor Sadiq Khan. London’s Congestion Charge will rise from January 2, 2026 with the current £15 per day rate increased to £18.

Electric cars, heralded by the Mayor in recent years, will also be stung with congestion fees for the first time ever. Currently, owners of EVs enjoy a 100% exemption to the charges but this is set to end in the new year. From January, electric vans and lorries will be charged 50% of the total fee (£9.50), with only a 25% discount for electric cars.

The discount is set to be further reduced to just 25% for electric vans and lorries, and 12.5% for all electric cars by March 2030.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “Keeping London moving by reducing congestion is vital for our city and for our economy.

“While the congestion charge has been a huge success since its introduction, we must ensure it stays fit for purpose, and sticking to the status quo would see around 2,200 more vehicles using the congestion charging zone on an average weekday next year.

“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.”

TfL previously  revealed plans for an increased congestion charge back in Spring 2024. TfL previously said that analysis shows there will be more than 2,200 extra vehicles on an average weekday without these changes.

Meanwhile, TfL previously claimed that the proposals would work to continue managing traffic effectively in central London. The scheme is also set to contribute to the Mayor’s long-term vision for a cleaner, greener London. However, the move has been called out by the AA who suggested the Mayor needed to “reconsider” his scheme.

Ginny Buckley, the chief executive of Electrifying.com, the electric car buying and advice site said: “It’s far too soon for TfL to remove exemptions for electric vehicles from the London Congestion Charge. The Mayor calls himself an air-pollution champion, yet these plans will hit the cleanest vehicles on our streets with extra costs just as EV drivers face the prospect of pay-per-mile fees.”

Meanwhile, Toby Poston, BVRLA Chief Executive, suggested the move could backfire with demand for EVs likely to take a hit.

Toby explained: “While we welcome the essential exemption for electric car club vehicles and users, today’s changes will be a hammer blow for anyone else that relies on cars or vans for work or essential travel in the London area.

“Electric vehicle adoption is still at a fragile stage and EV users already face huge hurdles in terms of public charging costs and accessibility. Removing the 100% discount could not only stall the transition, it could push people the other way.’”