GVD discount sunset period ends

The Greener Vehicle Discount (GVD) sunset period for London’s Congestion Zone will end today (Friday 24 June), meaning models which were previously free to drive in the area will now be charged at the full rate.

Changes introduced in 2013, meant that the GVD and Electric Vehicle Discount (EVD) were replaced with the Ultra Low Emission Discount (ULED). The 100g/km CO2 emissions charge-free limit was reduced to 75 g/km CO2 and excluded a number of cars that are VED rated.

The changes mean that cars such as the Fiat 500 0.9 TwinAir, which had 95g/km CO2, were no longer eligible to be exempt from congestion charges. Instead a greater emphases was placed on incentivising hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.

Following the move, a sunset period was introduced to prevent immediate and unfair changes at a high level, with such car owners set to pay the full £11.50 daily charge. The sunset period scheme was designed to give such vehicle owners three years to change their cars or prepare for the toll.

Many manufactures have since offered competitive financial packages to encourage buyers in the zone to purchase greener cars, with Nissan running an additional £500 deposit contribution on Leaf orders placed in June and Mitsubishi adding a 32,500 deposit contribution and zero per cent finance to its Outlander PHEV.

Paul Cowperthwaite, Transport for London's general manager of Road User Charging, said: "We have written to customers to remind them that the three year sunset period for holders for the Greener Vehicle Discount (GVD) ends on Friday 24th June. Of the 22,500 cars registered for GVD, over half do not drive in the Congestion Charge Zone during charging hours and over 80 per cent make fewer than one journey each week.”

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