Following a challenge to The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, by Volvo Car UK, a review of the current Congestion Charge exemptions has been announced.
Currently only models powered by alternative fuels and hybrids are exempt from paying the daily charge, regardless of CO2 emissions.
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Volvo is challenging the current rules as its low-CO2 DRIVe models do not qualify for the C-Charge exemption
Johnson confirmed that the exemption to the Congestion Charge was introduced to incentivise the take-up of more environmentally-friendly vehicles, but that he recognised that vehicle technology has developed considerably since then. Transport for London will report their recommendations by the end of the year.
The news comes at the same time as a What Car? poll confirms that the motoring public also believe that the current hybrid and electric car exemption is outdated and unfair.
In the poll, conducted on the homepage of WhatCar.com, 50 per cent of over 1,500 respondents confirmed that they believed that any exemption should be CO2-based, while only 34 per cent believed that the status quo, where all hybrid or electric cars are exempt, is fair.
Former Mayor Ken Livingstone had drafted plans that would have introduced such a system, but they were scrapped by Johnson upon his election.
• Picture by joshuakaufmann