Electric fleets could cut congestion charge by £17m, says Citroen

Fleets could save more than £17 million per year in London Congestion Charge Zone payments by switching to electric or plug-in hybrid cars and vans, according to new research by Citroen.

Analysis of Transport for London (TfL) data, obtained via a Freedom of Information request, revealed that, despite a freeze in payments last year - from March 23 to May 17 due to the Covid-19 pandemic - businesses spent more than £1.4 million per month to enter and operate in central London. 

In June 2020, TfL introduced temporary measures to the Congestion Charge Zone increasing the daily fee from £11.50 to £15, with the charge applicable seven days a week.

Entry to the Congestion Charge Zone in London is free for all vehicles that meet the current Euro 6 emissions criteria, emit less than 75g/km of CO2 and have a minimum 20-mile zero emissions range. Only pure EVs will be exempt from October 25, 2021, onwards.

TfL collected £17.4m in business payments for use of the Congestion Charge Zone between October 2019 and September 2020. In contrast, businesses operating electric vehicles, enjoyed free access to the zone.

Eurig Druce, managing director of Citroen UK, said: “Electric vehicles such as New e-C4 and e-Dispatch van are ideal for business and fleet users. Not only do they suit a variety of driving conditions, their zero emissions capability results in no Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) payments. As our latest research shows, businesses also stand to make significant savings in other areas – including Congestion Charge Zone payments.”

The new Citroen e-Dispatch is available with either a 50kWh or a 75kWh battery pack and has a range of up to 205 miles on a single charge. Supporting up to 100kW rapid charging, an 80% charge can be completed in just 30 minutes.

It offers up to 6.6 cubic metres of load volume and a payload of up to 1,002Kg.

The new e-C4 features a 50kWh battery and a 136PS electric motor. It has a range of up to 217 miles and also supports up to 100kW rapid charging with an 80% charge taking as little as 30 minutes.