Our ref: FOI-0028-2122/GH Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 1 April 2021 asking for information about Electric Vehicles. Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require. What local electric vehicle incentives are currently provided to business consumers in London e.g. free parking, use of bus lanes, free charging, exemption for London congestion charge? Making it easier for Londoners to make the switch from diesel to electric cars is a key part of reducing toxic traffic emissions and realising the Mayor’s ambition of becoming a zero-emission city by 2030. To achieve this, TfL are supporting and accelerating the shift to zero emission technologies, such as electric cars, led by an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Delivery Plan published in 2019. London’s plan follows the Mayor’s establishment of the world’s first Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Taskforce, bringing together representatives from business, energy, infrastructure, government and the London boroughs. More than 140 organisations have contributed to the work of the Taskforce to help us deliver the electric vehicle infrastructure Londoners need. This includes commitments by businesses and retailers to transform EV charging provision in London over the coming years. TfL are keen to communicate the benefits to businesses of switching to zero emission capable (ZEC) vehicles of saving money on fuel costs, reducing harmful vehicle emissions and helping to clean up London's air. Incentives provided by TfL include: • A new, phased, Cleaner Vehicle Discount to the Congestion Charge was introduced in April 2019 and, by 2021, only battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will qualify. These policies strongly indicate the direction of travel in London and are already influencing travel and vehicle purchase choices. • Since January 2018, TfL has only been licensing new taxis (black cabs) that are ZEC and has offered a decommissioning fund – recently significantly enhanced – to take out of circulation some of the older cabs that are the most polluting. From January 2020, similar licensing requirements for Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) came into effect that were licensed in London for the first time. • Scrappage schemes have also been put in place to help support businesses with older Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and Low Emission Zone (LEZ) non-compliant vehicles off the capital's roads to help clean up London's air. These incentives have been complemented by the roll out of the world’s first ever ULEZ, enforcing tough new emission standards in central London, which is helping drive companies to electrify their fleets. The ULEZ will be expanded to the rest of inner London in 2021. Emissions standards were also tightened in March 2021 for heavy goods vehicles via changes to the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) which covers most of Greater London. The full details of TfL’s support for the switch to Electric Vehicles can be found here: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ev-charging-plan. As TfL are the integrated strategic transport authority responsible for meeting Mayor Sadiq Khan's strategy and commitments on transport in London, we are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Capital's public transport network and manage London's main roads which make up 5% of all roads in London. Some of the London Boroughs therefore provide more local incentives to encourage the switch to electric vehicles through discounted or free-of-charge parking for electric vehicles on their roads. Some of these are listed below: • City of Westminster • Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea • London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham There is also a commitment in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and the London Environment Strategy to support boroughs wishing to implement Zero Emission Zones (ZEZs), and to create a ZEZ in central London by 2025 which will further toughen emissions standards across London. A recent report by the International Council on Clean Transportation found London has one of the most extensive packages of policies supporting EV uptake across Europe. Also, has London in anytime from 2001-2019 had any other local policy incentives for electric vehicles? 2013- Ultra Low Emission Discount (ULED) scheme introduced more stringent emission standards that limited the free access to the congestion charge zone to any car or van that emits 75g/km or less of CO2 and meets the Euro 5 emission standards for air quality. 2009- London Electric Vehicles Plan and details of borough subsidies for EV Parking. 2003- London Congestion Charge’s Alternative Fuel Discount of 100% If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation. If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal. Yours sincerely Graham Hurt FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London