Forum Topic

Sadiq to the choking Londoners  I choose Money over COPD

Yes folks our Mayor not to be outdone by Mayor Quimby in the Simpsonsmakes another wise decision. He scraps the exemption of the congestion charge for the owners of plug in hybrid electric vehicles. So no incentive to buy one of these vehicles and stop belching out pollutioninto the lungs of the Londoner. Not as long as Sadiq values money more than our health

Robert Ayres ● 1889d9 Comments

We lease an Outlander it’s works within London. You can select electric mode only in which case the petrol engine does not kick in. When it returns to our yard each night it is charged I can honestly say I can’t remember the last time we filled the petrol tank. We have calculated in electric mode it costs 2 pence a mile to run so the last thing any owner would want to do in London is run in petrol mode as for range  35 miles from our base in Hanwell takes us anywhere in London and back

Robert Ayres ● 1887d

You need to understand how PHEVs work.The 'battery only' range is VERY limited (on the Outlander it is only 35 miles) afterwhich you will be using the petrol or Diesel element of the hybrid.Even the brand-new Ford Kuga PHEV can only manage a maximum of 39 miles (less than 25 in real-world tests) on battery alone.Equally, under moderate acceleration the petrol or Diesel element will 'kick-in' to protect battery range.PHEVs in their current format are largely a 'sop' aand are far from a practical solution to pollution.

N V Brooks ● 1887d

When the charge was introduced we were told it would ease congestion and ease emissions as vehicles would not just be stuck  in jams pumping out fumes . It has failed on both counts but it’s a big earner for the Mayor so as people changed their vehicles to phev the revenue stream dropped. In order to no to lose more money the Mayor then scrapped the exemption. I am a fleet operator and now have no incentive to change my Euro 6 diesel vehicles. The higher cost of the charge will  now be simply passed on to the consumer ie Londoners

Robert Ayres ● 1888d

It is a congestion charge not an emissions charge.  Electric vehicles still cause congestion.

Reg Ghosh ● 1888d

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD ) and yes anyone with a PHEV vehicle would use electric only in London as that is what they are designed for and where the owner saves money

Robert Ayres ● 1889d

Of course, but you could be using petrol all the time.

Anne England ● 1889d

If you have a hybrid, I'd have thought you'd be using it electric in London, switching to petrol for longer journeys.

Susan Kelly ● 1889d

Plus the OP refers to a 'hybrid electric'. I think he must mean 'hybrid electric/petrol' vehicle. Think on.

Anne England ● 1889d

Perhaps because TFL are a skint shambles with top heavy salaries for underperforming managers and a totally fragmented bus service etc.I suppose they chose the name of the charge very carefully.Electric vehicles cause as much congestion as any other vehicle, except of the lungs of course.

Keith Iddon ● 1889d