London’s car clubs face a significant fall in the number of EVs in their fleets if Transport for London (TfL) presses ahead with plans to levy the congestion charge on them next year, an industry leader has warned.
Richard Dilks, chief executive of shared transport trade body CoMoUK, which represents car clubs, told the Standard the planned axeing of the congestion charge exemption for EVs stripped away “the last remaining entry in the plus column” for green vehicles.
TfL has been consulting on proposals to end the 100% cleaner vehicle discount for fully electric vehicles which has been in place since the congestion charge was first launched by Ken Livingstone in 2003.
If they push ahead drivers of EV cars will have to pay £13.50 a day to enter central London from January while EV van drivers face a £9 daily charge.
TfL has admitted it expects to raise £75 million from EV drivers as a result of the change in policy. The Standard, which has a long history of championing cleaner air for Londoners, has been heading a campaign against the TfL proposals under the Leading the Charge banner.
The car club sector is expected to be particularly badly hit with extra charges of at least £1 million that it will find hard to pass on to users – coming at a time when its members are facing a plethora of other rising costs.
Dilks said it had already seen worrying signs of a decline in enthusiasm for EV cars with the proportion of the total UK car club fleet that is electric powered falling for the first time this year from 35% to 30%.
That is still a six times higher rate of electrification than the general car fleet in London – but a disturbing new trend nevertheless.
He largely puts this down to the rising costs of operating an electric car which CoMoUK’s research estimates at an extra £6,000 a year over a conventional internal petrol or diesel fuelled vehicle.
“Car clubs are not a sector generating enough profits to support that,” he says. “It is not what government policy says should be happening, but it is happening. It is not helpful.”
(Pic: Zip Car)(
