New research from the European Urban Freight Efficiency Index shows London performing poorly on fuel efficiency due to stop‑start congestion:
Passenger vehicles average 18.1 mpg, worst of seven cities
5 mpg worse than Dublin
More than twice as bad as Paris
13.6% of fuel consumed while stationary (worst for passenger vehicles)
11.1% for trucks (third worst)
The EV Café Takeaway
“Two things: massive congestion, and a need for much more investment in good public transport.” - John
“Transport hierarchy! Other cities dwarf London in micro‑mobility. Pedestrianised zones, separated traffic flows, London is behind. But London is getting cleaner, “your nose is the clue”. - Sara
"Idling as a key issue, especially in hot weather when drivers run engines for air‑con. Isn’t there a better way?”
“Paris has unbelievably wide roads…London is tight and mixed.” - Sam
London’s congestion problem is structural, and solving it requires mode shift, micro‑mobility, and behaviour change, not just cleaner vehicles.