London has led the global transition to cleaner air but is it an electric vehicle ready city?

It wasn’t long ago that scientists estimated it would take around 190 years until London’s air quality would be lawful. Fast forward to today and the change has been remarkable. Londoners are breathing far healthier than before thanks to the world’s largest clean air zone and policies to phase out diesel buses and taxis.

But whilst the capital has been playing catchup, the world has moved on. A mountain of new health research has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to strengthen air quality guidelines and the EU has just passed a new clean air law that is twice the ambition of the UK.

The political bravery of Sadiq Khan to implement progressive policy paid off when he won a third term – renewing a mandate for clean air and to achieve a net zero-carbon city by 2030. But we must remember that action for clean air does not always deliver the same benefits for climate. In its first four years, ULEZ delivered an impressive 26% reduction in harmful NOx emissions but a much smaller 4% reduction in carbon emissions.

It is because of this conundrum that I am excited by the Mayor’s manifesto commitment for London to become “the world’s first electric-vehicle ready city”. Policies that support electric vehicles both help to end dirty diesel fumes and lead to fleets that emit no carbon from the tailpipe.

But is London electric vehicle ready? The Mayor’s research shows that, by the end of this decade, almost half of all car kilometres and a third of van kilometres will need to be driven in electric vehicles to achieve his climate targets. It’s getting there with the largest electric bus fleet in Western Europe and more cabbies driving plug-in hybrids than diesel taxis, but real uncertainty remains.

Vans and trucks account for 30 per cent of all road transport CO2 emissions in London, despite representing around one-fifth of the vehicle fleet. The rise of e-commerce means that van kilometres are also projected to increase by 43 per cent by 2041.

This is where the Mayor risks being left behind. Only last week, Paris voted unanimously on a resolution to trial a zero-emission freight area as an effective tool in targeting the city’s most polluting vehicles. This follows in the footsteps of Stockholm, Amsterdam and Rotterdam who will all rollout similar schemes from the start of next year.

London, however, appears to be doing the exact opposite. In just over a year, electric vans will no longer get a discount from the Congestion Charge meaning businesses go from paying £10 to up to £5,500 a year for every electric van driven in central London.

The diesel van scrappage scheme was pulled despite there being leftover funds that could have been ringfenced for cheap loans for SMEs to buy electric vans. Just last week, the Silvertown Tunnel tariff was published, offering no incentive for electric vans. These moves are disheartening for businesses already invested in new electric fleets, and those trying hard to make the transition add up.

The Federation of Small Businesses, the AA, Ocado and scores of others joined forces earlier this year to demand that the Mayor changes course.

By extending the congestion charge discount for electric vans until 2027, the Mayor would send a strong signal that he is backing businesses who do the right thing for the planet. It could start a much needed dialogue with industry on how London can move towards a zero emission freight zone in the heart of the capital. 

Clean Cities research has shown that doing so would help to achieve WHO air quality guidelines and it would also make good on climate at the same time. Around 285,000 tonnes of CO2 would be saved in the first year of a zero emission freight zone in central London, roughly equivalent to total CO2 savings from the first four years of the ULEZ.

London’s clean air journey has been marked by bold leadership and significant achievements, but the road to becoming one of the world’s greenest cities remains challenging. As competitor cities push forward with ambitious plans to accelerate zero-emission freight, London must not falter or we will fall down the priority list for fleet owners who must choose the most viable cities to first deploy their electric fleets.

Now is the time for the Mayor to match past bravery with fresh ambition. The race to become the world’s first electric vehicle ready city is on and the stakes have never been higher.

Oliver Lord is Head of UK & Strategy for the Clean Cities Campaign

^[1] Clean Cities (2024) Towards achieving zero-emission freight in London: Policy roadmap and valuation of benefits for a Zero-Emission Zone for Freight

^[2] Clean Cities (2024) Towards achieving zero-emission freight in London: Policy roadmap and valuation of benefits for a Zero-Emission Zone for Freight

Photo of Oliver: Transport & Environment