If you are licensing a private hire vehicle in London today, the electric question has already been answered for you. Since 1 January 2023, every newly licensed PHV must be zero emission capable and meet the Euro 6 standard. Fully electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles meet the requirement.
For drivers coming into the trade now, that means the practical question is not whether to go electric, but how to make electric work financially.
Where electric genuinely pays
The Congestion Charge discount
From 2 January 2026 the Congestion Charge is £18 a day. Electric cars registered on Auto Pay get the Cleaner Vehicle Discount of 25 per cent, taking it to £13.50. Five days a week in the zone, that is over £1,000 a year – but only if you are registered on Auto Pay. Drivers lose this money every week simply by not signing up.
Energy instead of fuel
This is where the real difference is made or lost, and it comes down entirely to where you charge. Charging at home on an off-peak overnight rate is a fraction of the cost of relying on public rapid chargers between jobs. Before you commit to an electric car, be realistic about your own situation: do you have off-street parking, and can you get a home charger installed? If the answer is no, your running cost will be substantially higher than the figures in the brochure.
Lower maintenance
No oil changes, no clutch, far less brake wear thanks to regenerative braking. Over a high-mileage year this adds up, though tyres tend to wear faster because of the extra weight and instant torque.
What to plan for honestly
- Real range, not brochure range. Winter, motorway speeds and constant heating or air conditioning reduce range noticeably. Work on what the car does on a cold January night with passengers, not the headline figure.
- Charging time is unpaid time. A rapid charge mid-shift is twenty to forty minutes you are not earning. Plan charging around breaks you were taking anyway.
- Charger availability. Know the reliable rapid chargers on your usual routes before you need one, not while you are down to eight per cent with a passenger waiting.
- Boot space. Airport runs are good work. Check that the car actually takes two large cases plus hand luggage.
The habits that separate drivers who do well on electric
- Register for Congestion Charge Auto Pay on day one.
- Charge at home overnight wherever possible, and treat public rapid charging as an emergency, not a routine.
- Keep the battery in its comfortable middle range day to day rather than routinely running it flat and charging to full.
- Track cost per mile weekly. It is the single number that tells you whether electric is working for you.
Not sure which car fits your week?
The right electric car for an airport-heavy driver is not the right one for someone working central London evenings. Tell us how you actually work and we will tell you what suits it.
Call 020 3633 9447 or get in touch.
Requirements and charges correct as of August 2026. Confirm the current position at tfl.gov.uk.