Electric cars will avoid restrictions when Madrid closes the city center to traffic.

Madrid is one of the Spanish cities that have traffic restrictions; in fact, since this year 2018, only neighbors and residents will be allowed to circulate in the city center. Does this restriction affect all cars? No, electric cars are exempt and will be able to circulate in the center of Madrid.

Inés Sabanés, the delegate for Environment and Mobility of the Madrid City Council, confirmed the public entity’s decision to shield the city center from traffic. This is included in the Air Quality Plan A, where only residents will be able to access this area of the city with their cars, with the exception of public transport and electric vehicles.

Thus, it is confirmed both the large residential priority area in the center, the speed limit of 70 km/h on the M-30 and access points, and the ban on traffic from gasoline vehicles registered before the year 2000 and diesel vehicles registered before 2006, the most notable measures among the 30 that make up this battery against pollution.

Regarding the speed limit on the M-30, the delegate of Ahora Madrid clarified: “First, we would apply a series of measures within the city, except for some episodes, until we reach a permanent restriction.”

This is one of the reasons why companies operating in Madrid have decided to increase their fleet of electric vehicles. The advantages of purchasing an electric vehicle in large cities like Madrid are numerous:

Companies that acquire electric vehicles pay fewer taxes, are exempt from paying the registration tax, and also receive a 75% discount on the payment of the Mechanical Traction Tax or circulation tax.

Additionally, owning an electric vehicle means being exempt from paying regulated parking fees, meaning that drivers with plug-in hybrid vehicles with a minimum range of 40 kilometers, electric vehicles, or those with Zero Emissions authorization can park for free in regulated SER parking areas without time limitations.

Moreover, these owners have free access to Residential Priority Areas, always with the corresponding ‘Zero Emissions’ authorization.

Another reason to consider buying an electric car is to think about the advantages during episodes of high pollution. The pollution protocols that occur in the city of Madrid do not affect eco-friendly vehicles, including hybrids, which will be able to circulate on the streets and roads of Madrid when restrictive measures are imposed due to high pollution.

On the other hand, drivers using the BUS-VAO lane with an electric or hybrid car can occupy this lane as long as they are not traveling with passengers. To enjoy this benefit without limitation, the vehicle must display the environmental label ‘Zero Emissions’ from the DGT clearly visible in the lower right corner of the windshield.

As we have been saying, industrial vehicles also have benefits, and industrial and commercial vehicles with Zero Emissions authorization will be able to carry out loading and unloading operations in Residential Priority Areas during extended hours of five hours, provided they have access authorization.

In light of this new scenario, the city of Madrid should consider the need to incorporate a greater number of charging points for electric cars on public roads to facilitate free charging for drivers of these types of vehicles.