This is my first post having recently become a proud owner of a Jan 2007 RX 400h. Has anyone figured out the impact on the RX 400h of todays Congestion Charge announcement ? I have to admit having read the TFL website I find it confusing !

You need to fill out one form and pay a £10 fee per year and then no other charges - at least thats what I've been told. I take delivery on my RX400 in March so will register then.

As long as you register your RX400h by October this year, you will receive the 100% alternative fuel discount till January 2010 - if you don't, you'll have to pay like everyone else.......

Thanks very much for the replies. To confirm what has been said I did send off the forms straight away after getting the car and last week had confirmation of the 100 % discount for a year - my understanding is that this has always been granted on a yearly basis.

Thanks again, and after 3 weeks I am really enjoying the car !

I did not hear about this announcement!

So I have three questions perhaps you can help me with:

1. Whats the announcement?
2. Does that mean after 2010 the RX400h does not qualify, regardless of if you claim before or not?
3. What has changed about the RX400h to lose its qualification for the 100% discount, have they now determined its not as wonderful to the environment as they initially thought?

I guess if we are going to lose that discount, potentially our road tax could go up....

1. The announcement was the introduction of the CO2 charge (which now means my IS200 will cost £25 per day in central london and I even lose my residents discount because I'm in the top band )

2. Yes, if you do not register an alternative fuel car by October, you can't do it at all, and after 2010 no car qualifies for the alternative fuel discount, it's just £8 per day like everyone else.

3. Nothing has changed about the RX400h - the rules have changed. There is no exemption anymore for alternative fuel vehicles, instead now the exemption is only for cars that produce less than 120g/cm3 of CO2.

And yes, I wouldn't be surprised if the road tax goes up eventually as well - can anyone remember how much less diesel was all those years ago to encourage uptake, and look how much it costs now.........

That really annoys the hell out of me!

The government goes on and on about taxing for a greener environment. The car manufacturers come up with new ideas and the government treat it as them using a loop hole, so it slaps tax on it!

I am willing to lay money if Lexus made an electric only car that could go a week on one charge with no emissions the goverment would introduce a "tyres on tarmac" tax which means if you car as wheels, it has to pay for the wear and tear to Londons streets!

Funny, when I brought the RX400h, I said to the chap I remembered having a very similar conversation when I was buying a diesel about how it was the future, low tax bands, cheap fuel and servicing!