Charities Face £3,000 Annual Bill for Driving Electric Vans This Winter Under Transport for London Plans
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Charities who say they have "done the right thing" by investing in electric vehicles will face a new daily charge of £9 to drive a zero-emissions van in central London from December.
The charge from Transport for London could add over £3,000 to the annual running costs of each electric van - a major financial hit at a time when they are facing higher wage bills and the recent employer National Insurance hike.
From December 2025, the 100% Congestion Charge discount for electric vehicles is set to be reduced. Publicly-owned TfL, which is chaired by Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan, is consulting on a new 25% discount for electric cars and 50% discount for electric vans.
A spokesperson for green campaign Clean Cities said they were worried that this will mean charities who operate vans in central London either won't be able to afford the shift to electric, or will shift back to diesel.
This will have negative impacts on air quality and decarbonisation, and doesn't support a just transition, the non-profit argues.
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Clean Cities is pushing for an 100% discount for electric vans and trucks operated by an SME or charity.
Food banks and food redistribution organisations like the Trussell Trust and The Felix Project are expected to be hard hit. Felix recently purchased a fleet of electric vans which they'll now have to pay over £3,000 a year to run in central London.
Charities collecting for charity shops are also likely to be hit by the measure.
Zak Bond, Campaign Manager at Clean Cities said: "The Mayor is right to back electric vehicles, we can't reach net zero or clean up the air without them. These proposals need improving given charities and small businesses who have gone green will be hit with a new £9 daily charge per electric van. Costs of over £3,000 a year would be a huge blow to charities like food banks and small firms who need the greatest support."
"The Mayor should continue the 100% congestion charge discount for electric vans run by SMEs and charities."
A spokesperson for London food charity The Felix Project told Byline Times: "We're proud to rescue high-quality surplus food and redistribute it to Londoners who need it most. In central London we do this with a fleet of electric vans so that we can contribute to cleaner air and our shared net zero journey. Every penny we spend on operational costs is a penny we aren't spending on helping Londoners, so this new charge of over £3,000 for each of our electric vans is very concerning."
Raj Singh, director of charity at Thomas Franks, a group supporting disadvantaged children and young people, added: "Charities provide a vital lifeline to the cities most vulnerable. We urge the Mayor to take us into consideration when making this decision."
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Responding to the concerns, a Transport for London spokesperson said: "The Congestion Charge has been in place since its introduction in 2003 to manage traffic and congestion in the central one per cent of London during the busiest times of day.
"Without the changes proposed in our consultation, the charge would become less effective, with an estimated additional 2,200 vehicles in the zone on an average weekday. Under these proposals, we are proposing a new Cleaner Vehicle Discount (CVD) for those who need to drive in the zone to do so in the cleanest vehicles possible."
The spokesperson added that under the new s...
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Charities who say they have "done the right thing" by investing in electric vehicles will face a new daily charge of £9 to drive a zero-emissions van in central London from December.
The charge from Transport for London could add over £3,000 to the annual running costs of each electric van - a major financial hit at a time when they are facing higher wage bills and the recent employer National Insurance hike.
From December 2025, the 100% Congestion Charge discount for electric vehicles is set to be reduced. Publicly-owned TfL, which is chaired by Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan, is consulting on a new 25% discount for electric cars and 50% discount for electric vans.
A spokesperson for green campaign Clean Cities said they were worried that this will mean charities who operate vans in central London either won't be able to afford the shift to electric, or will shift back to diesel.
This will have negative impacts on air quality and decarbonisation, and doesn't support a just transition, the non-profit argues.
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Receive the monthly Byline Times newspaper and help to support fearless, independent journalism that breaks stories, shapes the agenda and holds power to account.
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PAY MONTHLY - £3.75 A MONTH
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We're not funded by a billionaire oligarch or an offshore hedge-fund. We rely on our readers to fund our journalism. If you like what we do, please subscribe.
Clean Cities is pushing for an 100% discount for electric vans and trucks operated by an SME or charity.
Food banks and food redistribution organisations like the Trussell Trust and The Felix Project are expected to be hard hit. Felix recently purchased a fleet of electric vans which they'll now have to pay over £3,000 a year to run in central London.
Charities collecting for charity shops are also likely to be hit by the measure.
Zak Bond, Campaign Manager at Clean Cities said: "The Mayor is right to back electric vehicles, we can't reach net zero or clean up the air without them. These proposals need improving given charities and small businesses who have gone green will be hit with a new £9 daily charge per electric van. Costs of over £3,000 a year would be a huge blow to charities like food banks and small firms who need the greatest support."
"The Mayor should continue the 100% congestion charge discount for electric vans run by SMEs and charities."
A spokesperson for London food charity The Felix Project told Byline Times: "We're proud to rescue high-quality surplus food and redistribute it to Londoners who need it most. In central London we do this with a fleet of electric vans so that we can contribute to cleaner air and our shared net zero journey. Every penny we spend on operational costs is a penny we aren't spending on helping Londoners, so this new charge of over £3,000 for each of our electric vans is very concerning."
Raj Singh, director of charity at Thomas Franks, a group supporting disadvantaged children and young people, added: "Charities provide a vital lifeline to the cities most vulnerable. We urge the Mayor to take us into consideration when making this decision."
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Responding to the concerns, a Transport for London spokesperson said: "The Congestion Charge has been in place since its introduction in 2003 to manage traffic and congestion in the central one per cent of London during the busiest times of day.
"Without the changes proposed in our consultation, the charge would become less effective, with an estimated additional 2,200 vehicles in the zone on an average weekday. Under these proposals, we are proposing a new Cleaner Vehicle Discount (CVD) for those who need to drive in the zone to do so in the cleanest vehicles possible."
The spokesperson added that under the new s...
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