All new London cabs must now be zero-emission

January 04, 2023

All new minicabs licensed in London must now be zero-emission-capable under regulations which came into force at the start of January,  as part of Transport for London's (TfL) drive to tackle toxic pollution and reduce CO2 emissions across the capital.  

Tfl said the change formed a key pillar of the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's ongoing efforts to clean up the capital's "filthy" air and deliver on the city's 2030 net zero carbon target.

The new licensing rules mean that all private hire vehicles seeking their first license in London must emit no more than 50g/km CO2, while being capable of driving without emitting any exhaust emissions for a minimum range of 10 miles, TfL explained. Alternatiely, larger vehicles must emit no more than 75g/km CO2 from their exhaust pipes, but must be capable of operating with zero emissions for a minimum range of 20 miles.  

The new requirements supersede those that came into force in 2020 which stipulated that all private hire vehicles under 18 months old and licensed for the first time had to be zero emission capable. Since the previous requirements came into force three years ago, around 25 per cent of all private hire vehicles now picking up passengers in London are meeting these "game-changing" standards, with a number of larger minicab operators further committing to operating all-electric fleets by 2025, according to TfL.

It added that London now boasts more than 6,000 black cabs - over 40 per cent of all black cabs in the city - that are capable of driving without producing any emissions from their exhaust pipes.

Drivers making the switch to fully zero emission vehicles can also benefit from the Cleaner Vehicle Discount, meaning they will not have to pay the Congestion Charge until January 2026, TfL added.

"The taxi and private hire trade has embraced electric vehicles in recent years, with thousands already being used to pick up passengers from all corners of the capital," said Helen Chapman, TfL's director of licensing and regulation. "Toxic air in London is a public health emergency and this new requirement will act as a catalyst in significantly further reducing toxic emissions and carbon dioxide, which is a major contributor to global warming."

Meanwhile, TfL said it was also working to support the rule change by rolling out electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the city, including ultra-rapid chargepoints capable of powering up a battery car to a full charges within 20 to 30 minutes.

It hailed London for boasting "the most extensive charging network in Europe", including more than 11,000 EV chargers, of which around 820 of those being fast or ultra-rapid charging points.

TfL also said it had made its land available for the construction of a further 100 EV charging points by the end of 2023. London's Electric Vehicle Delivery Plan has identified that 40,000 to 60,000 charging points will need to be built by 2030, with 10 per cent of these being rapid chargers, according to the Mayor's office.

"We know that with the boom in electric vehicles, many more charging sites will be needed," explained Chapman. "London is on track to meet these projections, which we are supporting by making public land available and ensuring the fast charging points a world city needs are being built at pace and in significant numbers."