LONDON’S largest private hire and taxi firm Addison Lee says plans to abolish the congestion charge exemption for EVs will jeopardise London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s net zero ambition for the city.
The operator says it has recently invested in 600 brand-new zero-emission capable vehicles but has not opted for fully electric cars, due to a poor charging infrastructure in London and the availability of vehicles.
These new VW Multivan vehicles will replace the remaining diesel people carriers on the fleet, with Addison Lee’s entire standard passenger fleet set to be zero emission capable by April 2024.
The company already has more than 1,000 fully electric ID.4s in its fleet.
Addison Lee CEO Liam Griffin said: “Right now, there is neither the availability of vehicles nor robust enough charging infrastructure in London to go fully electric at speed and scale. That’s why we’re investing today in a broader range of sustainable options to meet current demand from passengers – while remaining committed to our long-term goal of full electrification.
It’s critical that we have both the right infrastructure and regulations in place to allow us to achieve this. That’s why we’re asking the Mayor of London to reconsider his plans to abolish the congestion charge exemption for electric vehicles. Removing this vital incentive will make it more costly to operate electric vehicles in the capital and jeopardise his net zero 2030 ambition for the city.”
