(Tue 30 Jun 09)

Volvo has gone public with a campaign to persuade Boris Johnson to rethink the structure of the London congestion charge, eight days after sending the Mayor of London a letter which has not yet been responded to.

The issue here is that hybrid cars - whose benefits include the fact that they emit relatively low levels of CO2 on the official EU cycle - are exempt from the charge, but cars with conventional drivetrains including a petrol or diesel engine but no electric motor are not.

Volvo's case is that in 2003, when the charge was introduced, hybrids did indeed have a significant CO2 advantage, but that developments in non-hybrid cars over the past six years mean that this is no longer the case. By way of illustration, the company points out that its own C30, S40 and V50 DRIVe models all have CO2 ratings of 104g/km, the same as the current (but soon to be replaced) Toyota Prius, but that owners of the DRIVe cars have to pay £8 per day - or potentially £2000 per year - to drive into the congestion charge zone while Prius owners don't have to pay anything.

Similarly, there are hybrids which emit far more CO2 and are also exempt, the most spectacular example being the Lexus LS 600h which has a rating of 219g/km. Hybrid technology has made the Lexus vastly more economical than it might otherwise have been, and its CO2 emissions are remarkably low for the kind of car it is, but it does seem strange that this car is exempt from the charge while cars with CO2 ratings in double figures are not.

Volvo is encouraging people who support its stance to follow the cause on Facebook and Twitter.

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