Electric vehicle owners in a central London are set to be charged extra when parking under new rules introduced by the Labour-run council.
Westminster City Council has launched new proposals which could overhaul parking charges to encourage drivers to use vehicles which produce fewer emissions.
Despite this, the new charges could increase the cost to park for electric car owners by as much as 1,800 per cent in a four-hour period.
Vehicles are set to be charged based on their historical carbon footprint during their construction, as well as how much space they take up and the wear and tear they cause to the roads.
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Under the current rules, electric cars or plug-in hybrids only have to pay for the first 10 minutes to obtain the maximum stay in the parking space, which is usually four hours.
EV drivers can pay as little as 96p for a four-hour stay in the most expensive parking zone, according to The Telegraph.
Under the new proposals, which are expected to be introduced in April, parking in the same zone could cost £18.18.
This could hammer many drivers who frequently use the area and make use of the cheaper parking prices, such as tradespeople.
With a standard eight-hour stay in Westminster, people could be forced to shell out £36.96 – an 1,800 per cent increase on the £1.93 people currently pay.
Ed Pitt Ford, a Conservative councillor in the area, slammed the move, saying local motorists and businesses would be hammered by the costs.
The councillor for Pimlico North Ward, said: “The council are proposing a massive tax hike on electric vehicle drivers as they increase parking charges by up to 1,800 per cent on EVs.
“Particularly hard-hit will be tradespeople and small businesses who have done the right thing by switching to EVs and will now see charges increase by up to £35 a day.
“It’s not good for business, it’s not good for climate change and it’s not good for residents.”
Similarly, Nickie Aiken, Conservative MP for Westminster, said it was “beggars’ belief” that the Labour-run council wanted to increase parking fees for cleaner vehicles.
She highlighted how it would have a massive impact on small businesses in the area who thought they were doing the right thing by driving a zero emission vehicle.
The council states that an emissions-based charging scheme would future-proof the parking system in the area, with a tradesperson’s permit scheme costing businesses £20.90 per day.
New permit parking charges will also apply to EVs and hybrids from April 2025, which could see vehicles under 69kWh batteries charged £40 a year and all vehicles with a battery above 70kWh paying £80.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg said: “Westminster city council has invested heavily in electric vehicle infrastructure to encourage people to switch to EVs and low polluting vehicles.
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Many businesses could be impacted by the new parking charges
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“Until now, pay to park charges for EVs in Westminster have been extremely low, and to keep up with the increasing demand for EVs, the council is moving to an emissions-based charging system.
“The new scheme will support the growth of electric vehicles in the city while keeping charges fair, proportionate, and as low as possible.
“Westminster residents with an EV will pay less than £1.50 to park their car outside their home, and visitors with EVs who pay to park will still be paying considerably less than in neighbouring London boroughs.”
