Request ID: FOI-1073-2425 Date published: 31 July 2024
You asked
This is an information request relating to the congestion charge zone, exemptions, and electric vehicles
Please include the following information:
• Over the past three financial years (21/22, 22/23, 23/24), how many vehicles have entered the congestion zone, broken down by month?
• During the same period, how many of these vehicles have been exempt from congestion charge, broken down by type of exemption, including electric vehicles?
• How much has been raised during the same period in £10 registration fees for exempt vehicles, broken down by type of exemption, including electric vehicles?
• Has there been an assessment of how much revenue will be raised by removing the exemption for electric vehicles? If so, what is the assessment?
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-1073-2425
Thank you for your request received on 3 July 2024 asking for information about Congestion Charge exemptions and electric vehicles.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked:
This is an information request relating to the congestion charge zone, exemptions, and electric vehicles • Over the past three financial years (21/22, 22/23, 23/24), how many vehicles have entered the congestion zone, broken down by month?
Please find attached the requested information showing the number of unique vehicles broken down by month and observed inside the Congestion Charge Zone during the operational hours of 7:00-18:00 Monday-Friday and 12:00-18:00 Sat-Sun and bank holidays. The count of confirmed vehicles is based on unique confirmed vehicles per day. This means that if the same vehicle is seen more than once on a single day, it is only counted once; if it is seen on multiple days during the month it is counted multiple times.
• During the same period, how many of these vehicles have been exempt from congestion charge, broken down by type of exemption, including electric vehicles?
Electric vehicles are not exempt from the Congestion Charge, rather they are 100% discounted which is subject to registration with us. This is the same for other 100% discounted vehicles such as those registered on a Blue Badge account, motor tricycles, accredited breakdown, and roadside recovery vehicles.
We do not record the number of 100% discounted or exempt vehicles which were driven in the zone over this period. However, the below table which shows the number of vehicles registered to each 100% discount as of 1 July 2024.
9+ Seat Vehicle
Accredited Breakdown
Blue Badge
Cleaner Vehicle
Motor Tricycle
Recovery Vehicle
Selected Partner
9,358
2,538
248,267
112,278
621
499
93,884
• How much has been raised during the same period in £10 registration fees for exempt vehicles, broken down by type of exemption, including electric vehicles?
Please see the table below which shows the value of registration and renewal fees paid over the past three financial years.
When a motorist registers a vehicle for a 100% discount there is a £10 registration fee and a £10 annual renewal fee. The table below details income from the registration and renewal fees for each of the 100% discounts.
9+ Seat Vehicle
Accredited Breakdown
Blue Badge
Cleaner Vehicle
Motor Tricycle
Recovery Vehicle
April 21 - July 24
£263,440
£241,720
£2,600,570
£3,179,410
£21,260
£18,190
• Has there been an assessment of how much revenue will be raised by removing the exemption for electric vehicles? If so, what is the assessment?
We do not hold information on how much revenue we expect will be raised from the removal of the Cleaner Vehicle Discount (CVD) as we have not carried out any such assessment.
The CVD has seen a steep rise in vehicles registered for the discount from just over 20,000 at the start of 2019. With around a year and a half until the discount is due to end, it is likely that these numbers will continue to increase significantly and continuing to provide the CVD would undermine the benefits of the Congestion Charge, which is in place to manage traffic and congestion in the heart of London. The removal of the CVD from 25 December 2025 was announced in December 2018.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
