The threshold for exemption from the London Congestion Charge will be reduced from 100g/km to 75g/km later this year.
From 1 July, only electric vehicles, and cars and vans which emit less than 75g/km and meet the Euro 5 emission standard for air quality, will be exempt from paying the charge. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has also announced an increase in the penalty charge for late payment, from £120 to £130.
The decision to drop the Congestion Charge cut-off is unlikely to go down well with those who have recently bought a sub-99g/km car; however, there is some respite. Owners of cars currently eligible for the Greener Vehicle Discount (GVD) will have their exemption automatically transferred to the new Ultra Low Emission Discount (ULED) and will not have to pay anything until 24 June 2016.
One of the aims of the ULED is to tackle the 'increasing dieselisation' of London's cars. When the C-Charge was first introduced ten years ago, around 10 per cent of all cars in the capital ran on diesel; now, the figure is around 50 per cent.
Under the new plans, no diesel- or petrol-fuelled cars will qualify for the exemption -- only fully-electric, plug-in hybrid and range-extended electric vehicles will be uncharged.
The Mayor has also announced the removal of the option to pay the charge in shops, which is now only used for around six per cent of payments.
The Mayor of London's advisor on the Environment, Matthew Pencharz, said: "These changes are in line with the Mayor's aim to improve air quality in London by reducing emissions from private vehicles and promoting the further development of low emission vehicles.
"We want to encourage the continued development of these technologies, while also protecting the benefits to traffic flow in the centre of London that the charge provides."
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