London's Congestion Charge Hits £18 in 2026; EV Drivers Are No Longer Getting a Free Pass

The London Congestion Charge went up on 2 January 2026. It rose from £15 to £18 per day. That is an extra £3 every time you drive into the zone.

If you are a PCO driver or private hire operator working in central London, this affects every shift. It is not a one-off. It is now part of your daily running costs, sitting alongside your PCO car hire, fuel, and insurance.

For electric vehicle drivers, there is more to take in. EVs used to enter the Congestion Charge zone for free. That exemption has gone. From January 2026, electric vehicles will pay the charge too.

The good news is that you can reduce what you pay. If you sign up for TfL’s Auto Pay scheme, electric car drivers pay £13.50 per day. Electric van and larger vehicle drivers pay £9 per day. But if your vehicle is not registered for Auto Pay, you will pay the full £18 rate. The same as a petrol or diesel car. It is worth getting that sorted if you have not already.

TfL ended the free EV entry partly to manage traffic. They estimated that over 2,000 extra vehicles could enter the zone each weekday if the exemption stayed. Whether you agree with the decision or not, the change is here.

For drivers on Uber, Bolt, Ola, or any other platform, the Congestion Charge is now a fixed cost to factor into your earnings every week. And it is not going down. TfL has confirmed annual increases from 2027, in line with wider fare rises across London’s buses, trains, and Underground.

Plan for it now, so it does not catch you out later.

Source: https://londonlovesbusiness.com/congestion-charge-hike-to-net-tfl-extra-40m-in-2026/ 

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge/congestion-charge-changes