Oxford prepares for electric car future. Britons may be cool to the cost.
In a lane bounded by a medieval college and the entrance to an indoor market, Kelvin Che backs his white BMW sedan into a parking spot. As Mr. Che waits for a friend, small trucks disgorge goods for the market, a warren of independent stalls that first opened in 1776.
This lane is among a cluster in Oxford’s historic core that are zoned for zero emissions. Starting in February, drivers of nonelectric vehicles will have to pay £10 ($13.50) a day to enter the zone, making this city of 150,000 the first in the United Kingdom to set such a strict standard.
The idea is to nudge drivers like Mr. Che to consider buying an electric vehicle (EV). These cars now make up a fifth of new auto sales in affluent cities like Oxford. By 2030, the British government plans to end the sale of
