Read our open letter to the Mayor

Dear Mayor,

Thanks to your policies, London is a world leader in electric vehicle (EV) adoption. But in six months’ time, one of London’s most powerful tools to improve air quality – the Cleaner Vehicle Discount in the Congestion Charge Zone – is due to be rolled back.

Bold action is needed now to ensure the right policies are in place to continue driving uptake and make EVs the right choice for all.

The Cleaner Vehicle Discount has delivered real outcomes for Londoners. By providing EVs with free access to the central zone, it has encouraged thousands of London businesses and drivers to go electric, making the delivery of essential goods, services and transport in central London greener than ever.

Today, more than a third of new cars being registered in London are electric. The switch to electric is delivering cleaner air for the entire city, with over 90% of the air quality benefits felt outside the central area. Quite simply, the Cleaner Vehicle Discount improves the air all Londoners breathe.

Yet, current proposals will see EV drivers and businesses having to pay up to £13.50 a day per vehicle. This means thousands of London households, businesses and fleets who have invested in going electric and need to make regular journeys into central London could face new bills of up to £3,000 per vehicle per year. The proposal to increase costs for electric vehicles has the potential to reverse London’s amazing progress, just as we need to accelerate to meet the city’s laudable 2030 goals and secure further investment in our world-class charging infrastructure.

Our mission as the Electric London coalition is simple – to drive EV momentum in London and sustain its world-leading position. We all represent leading partners in the delivery of this shared ambition and look forward to working closely with you to make these goals a reality.

London can set an example for cities around the world. We encourage you to continue to be bold and ambitious in driving forward policies that will propel London towards its zero-emission transport goals and keep our great city at the forefront of the transition to EVs.