Motorists in London are paying more than £1,100 a year to park outside their home under emissions-based charging rules.
Islington is the most expensive borough to own a parking permit, with residents paying up to 28 times more to park outside their homes than in neighbouring areas.
The most expensive permit band in the north London borough is £854.90, but diesel drivers face paying an additional £259.50 premium on top of this – taking the highest possible fee to £1,114 a year.
Hackney charges the second-highest fees (£725), according to analysis by comparison site Parking Permit Costs, with the council imposing up to a £350 additional premium for diesels.
The policies have drawn criticism from motoring groups, which argue that contrasting parking prices amount to “discrimination” against petrol and diesel vehicle owners.
Councils calculate permit costs on a sliding scale, typically basing the fees on tailpipe emissions for petrol and diesel cars and the size of the battery for electric vehicles (EVs).
Brian MacDowell, of the Alliance of British Drivers, said: “Emissions-based charging is complete discrimination and is nothing more than a backdoor revenue-raising exercise for councils.
“There should be no moralising about what type of car people buy. It’s an individual choice – diesel suits some, petrol suits others, and electric or hybrid suits another category of people. You shouldn’t be punished for your choice.”
Emissions-based charging schemes were introduced in the early 2010s, with councils adopting policies based on the “polluter-pays” principle.
Findings show that 27 of London’s boroughs impose higher parking permit costs for cars that emit more carbon dioxide.
Islington council generated £23.2m from residential parking permits over a five-year period between 2020 and 2024, according to data released under freedom of information rules last year.
Its highest annual permit rate is reserved for owners of vehicles emitting more than 255g/km of carbon dioxide. These tend to be large, older V8 or V10 SUVs.
The Mercedes-Benz G400d would fall into this highest category and attract the maximum permit price of £1,114.
Meanwhile, owners of the same vehicle in nearby Redbridge would only have to stump up £39.50.
The council is one of four in London to charge a flat fee for all vehicles, regardless of their fuel type. The other authorities with flat fees are Havering (£45), Hillingdon (£92.40) and Kingston upon Thames (£123.10).
Stark variations in parking permit prices have created a postcode lottery for drivers across London, where around 70pc of motorists rely on on-street parking. Discounting diesel premiums, the councils imposing the highest after Islington are Hackney, which charges up to £720 for a permit, and Tower Hamlets at £690.
Outside London, a handful of councils also set permit rates based on emissions, though the fees are not as high as Islington. For example, Bristol charges up to £193 and Reading £108.
Islington and Hackney councils were approached for comment.