A NEW driving law is coming into effect in 2025 – which will see a major change for thousands of motorists.
Currently, drivers of fully electric or hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are exempt from paying the £15 fee when travelling through London’s congestion-charge zones.
However, this will change next Christmas, as from December 25 2025 onwards, all drivers, regardless of their vehicle type, will be required to pay the congestion charge when driving through the congestion-charge zone in the capital.
There is a slight reprieve, as the congestion charge is not applicable between 25 December and 1 January each year; therefore, electric and hydrogen-fuelled cars will start paying the congestion charge from 2 January 2026.
At present, electric and hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are exempt from the congestion charge under the Cleaner Vehicle Discount.
This exemption was originally intended to encourage drivers to switch to greener vehicles in central London, as well as to combat air and noise pollution.
However, in a further effort to reduce congestion, all vehicles, including EVs, will be required to pay the congestion charge during charging hours.
In July, a Transport for London spokesperson said: “The congestion charge’s Cleaner Vehicle Discount was part of our phased scheme to tackle London’s toxic air.
“Ending the Cleaner Vehicle Discount from 25 December 2025 will maintain the effectiveness of the charge, which is in place to manage traffic and congestion in the heart of London.”
Despite this, not all vehicles may be affected.
According to Autotrader, many businesses have signed an open letter to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, requesting that electric vans be exempt from the congestion charge to help ease the cost for businesses investing in environmentally friendly fleets.
This comes as a number of new rules are set to be rolled out in 2025 – including one for HGV drivers.
The device is required in certain vehicles to improve safety and efficiency.
It can also record a vehicle’s driving time, speed, distance, and gather other information about the driver’s activity.
An analogue or digital tachograph is required for international journeys.
Elsewhere, up to 150 cars could be seized and sold by the council every year under a new plan.
From April next year, Slough Borough Council in Berkshire will tow away cars with three or more unpaid parking tickets.
They are also allowed to remove cars that are causing an obstruction or pose a hazard.
The owners of the vehicles will be ordered to pay to recover their car, and if they fail to do so they will be sold at auction.
