Driving laws 2025

No more congestion charge exceptions

2025 is the last year where electric vehicles can enjoy free city driving, but by the end of the year this will change. From December 25th all drivers will have to pay the £15 London Congestion Charge. This includes electric and hydrogen powered vehicles.

Electric vehicles lose tax-free perk

2025 brings yet another blow to EV's. In April, vehicles will have to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). New EV's will pay £10 in the first year, and £195 annually after that. This price will hike up even more for expensive EV's. EV's worth over £40,000 will pay the expensive car supplement of £410 for 5 years.

Zero emission vehicle mandate

Car manufacturers must now make sure that at least 22% of new car sales are electric. They'll also need to ensure 10% of van sales are fully electric too.

This rule kicked off on January 1st, and sees a push towards lower emissions and greener roads.

Non-compliant EV chargers face £10k fines

Don't worry, news for EV drivers isn't all bad. EV drivers can expect an improved charging experience across the country.

This is due to new regulations that ensure chargers meet certain government standards. These standards will include reliability, accessibility, and payment ease. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) can issue fines for non-compliance. Charge point operators could pay £10,000 for each charger that doesn't meet these new rules.

Increased payment ease is another benefit EV drivers can expect to see. All EV charge points of 8kW and above, and existing chargers of 50kW of above, must now offer a contactless payment option.

These new regulations will push towards a more streamlined charging experience for EV drivers.

Fuel finder scheme

You may be used to doing your own research to find the cheapest petrol station near you. By the end of 2025, this search is set to get much easier thanks to the new 'Fuel Finder' scheme. This gives drivers live, station-by-station fuel prices.

You'll be able to see where the cheapest places to fill up are, helping you save on fuel costs.

Company car tax rises

If you drive a company car, you may face an increase in tax. The Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax is set to jump by 1% in April 2025. This price hike will be even bigger for electric cars, jumping from 2% to 3%. And if you drive a higher-emission vehicle, you can expect this cost to be even steeper.

HGV safety permits mandatory in London

From May 4th, all HGV's operating in Greater London must have a safety permit under Transport for London's Direct Vision Standard (DVS). These permits are free, and assess the driver's visibility of vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists.

If your vehicle has low visibility, you'll need extra safety features to qualify for the permit. These safety features, like cameras and sensors, are used to reduce the risk of accidents.

Mandatory driver assistance systems

Mandatory driver assistance systems (ADAS) are set to become standard for newly manufactured cars in 2025.

This includes, autonomous emergency braking systems and lane-keeping assistance. This is all in an effort to improve road safety.

Scotland’s nationwide 20mph speed limit

A 20mph speed limit for residential and urban areas will be introduced in Scotland in 2025. This default speed limit aims to improve road safety, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.