Guide to car parking in London for electric vehicles

Car Parking in London for your EV. With new government decisions coming into effect in the next few years, there’s never been a better time to switch to an EV. Driving an electric vehicle comes with numerous advantages — exemption from Congestion and ULEZ charges, 100% discounted road tax and plug-in grants for new EVs. On top of these, if you drive a zero or low-emission car, you can get discounted or even free resident parking permits in many London boroughs. Applying for a discounted parking permit is a great prospect for rideshare drivers to reduce their costs.

Here is everything you need to know about the discounted EV parking permits in London boroughs. 

Do electric cars have to pay for car parking in London? 

There isn’t a general rule for EV parking in London. Each borough has its own rules, but most do offer discounted resident parking permits. Costs for an annual resident EV parking permit in London can range between £6.50 and £80, whilst the same annual parking permits for high-polluting cars can be as much as £860.  

There are currently only four boroughs across London that don’t offer discounted parking for EVs — Kingston upon Thames, Bexley, Bromley and Havering. 

Which London boroughs offer free parking for electric cars? 

Some boroughs provide free EV parking permits for their residents — Barking and Dagenham, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Newham, Redbridge, Westminster and Richmond Upon Thames. 

You may also find free parking on private property, such as businesses, retail premises, and public charging points. 

Which London boroughs offer discounted parking for electric cars? 

To get an idea of how much money you can save on parking by switching to an EV, we’ve gathered all the discounts you can benefit from as an EV driver, depending on the borough. We compared them to how much you would pay for the same parking permit if you drive a high-polluting car.  

*Most of these fares are applicable for one vehicle per person. The fares increase for each additional vehicle registered on the same person.

Do you have to pay for parking when charging your electric car? 

If you charge your car on a residential street without having a parking permit, you’ll most likely need to pay for the parking spot too – the road signs will confirm this. Some parking spots might allow you to stay free of charge for as long as it takes to recharge your battery, whilst others have time limits.  

Each charging network has its own rules when it comes to parking whilst charging your EV, so it’s best to check that beforehand. Most EV charging networks have dedicated apps where you can check the charging stations’ availability, fares and special requirements.  

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