OWNER ANSWER
Does an electric BYD pay London’s Congestion Charge?
Yes: an electric BYD car normally pays London’s Congestion Charge during charging hours. The current daily rate is £13.50 when the car is registered on TfL Auto Pay; otherwise it is £18 paid in advance or on the day. Being ULEZ-compliant does not remove the separate Congestion Charge.
For UK-registered battery-electric BYD cars, including ATTO 2, ATTO 3, ATTO 3 EVO, DOLPHIN, DOLPHIN SURF, SEAL and SEALION 7. Other approved discounts may change the amount. A plug-in hybrid is not covered by the electric-car discount described here.
- Check your route against the Congestion Charge zone using TfL’s “Where and when” link on the main charge page below. Charging hours are 07:00–18:00 Monday–Friday and 12:00–18:00 at weekends and bank holidays, except the period from Christmas Day to the New Year’s Day bank holiday inclusive.
- Use TfL’s vehicle checker with your registration. Check the recorded vehicle type as well as any ULEZ result: the two schemes answer different questions.
- For the electric-car discount, sign in to your London Road User Charging account and set up Auto Pay, then add the exact registration you will drive. Having an account alone is not enough. TfL charges no registration or renewal fee for Auto Pay, and eligible UK electric cars do not need a separate Cleaner Vehicle Discount application.
- Confirm that Auto Pay is active for that vehicle. It covers journeys on its activation day, including earlier that day, but not the day before. Pay earlier uncovered journeys separately; without the discount, the charge is £21 if paid by midnight on the third day after travel.
- After a chargeable trip, check your Auto Pay record. Charges can take up to five working days to appear and are billed monthly. Do not treat a missing same-day entry as proof that the journey was free.
What success looks like
The correct registration is on active Auto Pay, TfL recognises it as an electric car and a chargeable day is billed at the current £13.50 electric-car rate, unless another approved discount applies. ULEZ and any Blackwall or Silvertown tunnel charges are separate items, not included in that daily price.
If that did not work
If TfL has the wrong vehicle type, use its vehicle-registration route below to provide the requested evidence, including the V5C, and keep Auto Pay set up for the discount. For a missing discount or disputed charge, contact the Congestion Charge team with the journey date, registration and Auto Pay activation date. A newly changed private plate can need updated records. If you have received a Penalty Charge Notice, follow its payment or challenge process; an ordinary enquiry is not the same as challenging it.
Useful next steps
- Check the charges and details for your BYD
- Set up or check TfL Auto Pay
- Correct the vehicle type held by TfL
- Contact the Congestion Charge team
TfL Congestion Charge: rates, hours, deadline and zone route. Checked 13 November 2026.
Open sourceTfL Cleaner Vehicle Discount: electric-car rate and Auto Pay requirement.
Open sourceTfL Auto Pay: activation, charge visibility and billing.
Open sourceTfL vehicle registration: correcting vehicle details and required evidence.
Open source