I think you need to look at whether alternatives exist. All cities that have a congestion charge have a well developed public transport system, as far as know. So making driving into the city more expensive may nudge people into switching to public transport. How big the effect may be is another issue. Poor people also often already take public transport into cities (in Europe at least), not least because even without congestion charge, parking charges are usually very high.

Tobacco is neither here nor there because, obviously, people do have the choice not to smoke.

On the other hand, when you're in an area with little to no public transport and the only way for you to go to work or go to the supermarket, or do anything really, is to drive there is no alternative. When you're a delivery driver there is no alternative. When you're a tradesperson there is no alternative.

There is no alternative because EVs either do not really exist (electric utility vehicles only start to be available) or are way beyond what you can afford and you do need a vehicle.

Basically in France this was seen as Macron's "let them eat cake" moment with well-off people in Paris (with its world-class public transport system) deciding that everyone in the country could "just" drive less or change car.

I don't buy that argument. Join a car pool, buy an electric scooter, or a moped if fuel taxes bothers you so much. In general, I think it is a tragedy that we worry so much about the problems of those poor, poor motorists when our beds are burning.