Enough of the good times! Barcelona will charge cars with a 0 label for parking

Since electric cars began to become popular, city councils have wanted the city centres to be more sustainable. Every day, thousands of vehicles pass through city streets and that is why it is important to have one or more regulated parking zones. These zones, the popular “blue zone” and the “green zone“, where parking is permitted for a set amount of time and there is no need to look for an underground car park.

These regulated parking zones carry a set cost and are spaces with a very high turnover. And as we have said, many city councils wanted to reward drivers who do not pollute, those with the 0 environmental label. For them, parking was subsidised and cars with this label did not pay in the blue zone. But this is already disappearing in many cities, as is the case in Barcelona.

Until 31 January, parking a zero-emission car in the urban area of Barcelona carried a 100% discount on parking rates. This meant that nothing had to be paid for leaving the car parked in the blue or green zone. In this way, the effort of having bought an electric car and using it to get around the city was rewarded. A small help that made the investment feel a little more worthwhile.

From February, they will have to pay

From 1 February, this advantage is eliminated and users of cars with the DGT 0 environmental label, that is, electric or plug-in hybrid cars that prove an electric-mode range of more than 40 kilometres, will have to pay for the use of regulated parking zones.

This is the bad news, although not everything is as bad as it seems, since although payment is required, the official rate has a 50% reduction. Thus, in Zone A the rate starts at 3.75 euros per hour for vehicles without a label, 3.50 with label B; 3.25 euros for vehicles with label C; 2.50 euros for the ECO label, and vehicles with the 0 label will pay 1.25 euros.

In Zone B, the price starts at 3.50 euros, while cars with label B will pay 3.25 euros. Cars with label C will pay 3 euros and those displaying label C will pay 2.25 euros. Finally, cars with 0 emissions will only pay 1.15 euros.

In the green zone, they will pay 1.5 euros in Zone A and 1.50 in Zone B. The ECO label will have a charge of 3 and 2.75 euros, respectively, and those with label C will pay 3.75 and 3.5 euros. Cars with the label will pay 3.75 and 2.50 euros. With the exception of cars with the 0 label, the others keep the previous year’s rate.