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News

All you need to know about London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)

London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is one of many clean air zones in operation around the country, which aim to reduce roadside emissions and clear the city’s air.

The zone, which was expanded earlier this year, encompasses each London borough, meaning drivers of some older cars need to pay a fee to drive through the city.

Initially proposed by former London Mayor Boris Johnson in 2015, the ULEZ is a continuation of the T-Charge introduced by Sadiq Khan in 2017, which charged motorists £10 to drive vehicles that did not meet the Euro 4 emissions standard into the central London congestion charge zone.

ULEZ replaced the T-Charge in April 2019. It upped the fee to £12.50 and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, apart from Christmas Day.

In October 2022, the London ULEZ drew over £90 million in eight months, with an average of 1.9 million journeys made into the zone each month.

Plans to introduce an even more restrictive zero-emission zone, meanwhile, in central London were shelved following the most recent expansion of the ULEZ.

Where does the London ULEZ operate?

On 25 October 2021, the ULEZ grew to encompass the area within the borders of the North Circular and South Circular arterial roads.

The ULEZ was further expanded in 2023, now encompassing each London borough – the entire area inside the M25 – as well as Heathrow Airport.

This means drivers of some older cars need to pay a fee to drive through the city, and visit various other important locations.

How does the ULEZ work?

ULEZ sign at Junction pointing to Mill Hill, Arkley and Totteridge

London’s ULEZ currently uses a series of cameras at junctions and along major roads into London. These automatically read registration plates and reference them against a database to identify whether vehicles are, or are not, compliant with the required emission standards.

You can check to see whether a postcode is inside the ULEZ on the Transport for London (TfL) website.

If you drive a non-compliant vehicle into the ULEZ, you must pay the £12.50 fee by midnight on the third day following your journey. For example, if you enter the zone while commuting on a Monday morning, you must pay by 00:00 on the following Thursday.

Mini Cooper S JCW and Audi S1 driving through London at night – side tracking

VauxhallUk

VAN DRIVERS COULD SAVE NEARLY £150 PER MONTH BY SWITCHING TO AN ELECTRIC VAUXHALL WITH NEW STELLANTIS E-LCV GRANT

  • Van drivers in the expanded London Ultra Low Emission Zone could save nearly £150 per month by making their next van an electric Vauxhall, instead of a diesel van
  • Vauxhall Combo Electric and Vauxhall Vivaro Electric available with £2,500 Stellantis e-LCV (electric light commercial vehicle) Grant
  • e-LCV Grant is on top of existing government grant for electric vans and ULEZ van scrappage scheme, offering potential savings of up to £17,000 on a new electric van
  • Offer includes a wallbox installed at home for no extra cost*
  • Customers will also receive £400 credit on an Octopus Electroverse card, providing up to 2,500 miles of free public charging from over 500,000 chargers across the UK and Europe**
  • Offer available now on all purchase and lease options, on select stock

Van drivers in the expanded London Ultra Low Emission Zone could save nearly £150 per month by switching from a diesel van to a fully electric Vauxhall Vivaro Electric with the new Stellantis e-LCV Grant.

The Stellantis e-LCV Grant offers customers a £2,500 incentive on small and medium electric vans, including the Vauxhall Combo Electric and Vauxhall Vivaro Electric. This is on top of the existing government grant for electric vans, worth up to £5,000. Businesses and sole traders operating in the recently expanded London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) can also apply for up to £9,500 to scrap a non-compliant van and replace it with an electric model – meaning customers could enjoy up to £17,000 off a new electric van.

The Stellantis e-LCV Grant also includes a free home wallbox installation* and £400 credit on an Octopus Electroverse card, delivering up to 2,500 miles of public charging from over 500,000 chargers across the UK and Europe**. This contributes to a total cost of ownership for a new Vauxhall Vivaro Electric of just £403.23 per month when factoring in the cost of travelling into the ULEZ and Congestion Charge zones – representing a saving of £145 per month compared to a new diesel Vivaro. Even drivers not initially looking to replace their current van could benefit from zero-emissions-in-use driving and the latest features without any extra outlay by upgrading to a Vivaro Electric (based on an old Euro-5 diesel van).

James Taylor, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “With £2,500 off a new Vauxhall Combo Electric or Vivaro Electric alongside existing government grants, it’s an ideal time to switch to an electric van. For van drivers affected by the recent expansion of the London ULEZ, going electric offers significant financial savings. As the UK’s best-selling e-LCV manufacturer, Vauxhall is committed to electrifying Britain’s businesses.”

Vauxhall has been the UK’s best-selling electric van manufacturer for the past two years and continues to lead the sales charts so far in 2023. More than one-in-four electric vans sold in the UK year-to-date has been a Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, making it the UK’s best-selling e-LCV (according to the latest SMMT registration figures***). Vauxhall is one of few brands to offer a fully electric variant across its entire LCV line-up.

The free home wallbox available alongside the e-LCV Grant will be supplied by Ohme or Free2Move eSolutions (subject to availability) and is compatible with the MyVauxhall app. The wallbox installation is managed by Octopus, with customers also able to benefit from an optional Octopus energy tariff. If a customer already has a wallbox installed, they will instead receive a £750+VAT Customer Deposit Contribution towards their new van.

The e-LCV Grant is available on all purchase and lease options, including outright purchase, conditional sale/hire purchase, Finance Lease or Business Contract Hire through Leasys, ensuring all customers making the switch to electric can benefit.

The offer applies to orders, on stock vehicles, from today (02/10/2023) until and including 31/12/2023.

* Standard home installation according to the installer’s guidelines. Extra costs will be applicable where non-standard install material/practices are required, such as additional cabling.

** Based on WLTP test figures and average public charging costs across networks which can be accessed using Octopus Electroverse card.

*** SMMT data. August 2023 YTD.

PeugeotUk

UK CLEAN AIR AND LOW EMISSIONS ZONES HAVE GENERATED MORE THAN £418 MILLION SINCE MARCH 2021

UK clean air and low emissions zones have generated over £418 million in fees and penalty charges since March 2021, according to new research by PEUGEOT UK. The London Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) contributed the most to this income, accounting for £319,822,943 between October 2021 and April 2023. All net revenue generated by the ULEZ is required by law to be reinvested back into London’s transport network. With the expansion of the ULEZ to all London boroughs on August 29, eligible vehicle owners in these areas can apply for up to £2,000 for scrapping their car as part of a £110 million scrappage scheme. PEUGEOT is offering a new e-Grant that allows customers to save £3,000 on electric models, providing potential savings of up to £5,000 on a new electric vehicle.

The UK currently has 13 low emissions zones, clean air zones, and zero emissions zones. Nine of these zones charge non-compliant vehicles an entry fee, with penalty charge notices issued to drivers who fail to pay the daily charge. PEUGEOT’s research, based on Freedom of Information requests, revealed that eight zones have generated a total of £418,501,974 in income from motorists since March 2021 (data from Bristol Clean Air Zone was not provided). Each zone has different charging criteria, such as specific emissions standards for diesel and petrol vehicles. Some zones, like the Low Emissions Zones in Scotland, have a ban on vehicles that do not meet the emissions requirements, with no option to pay a fee to enter the zone.

In addition to generating income, revenue from clean air zones in the UK must be reinvested into local transport policies. For example, Birmingham City Council has invested over £52 million of net surplus revenues from its Clean Air Zone to fund a hydrogen bus trial, upgrade train stations, and improve cycling infrastructure. Bristol’s Clean Air Zone uses the surplus revenue to provide grants and loans to individuals and businesses for replacing vehicles that do not meet the zone’s emission standards.

PEUGEOT is already ahead in meeting the latest Euro 6 emissions standards for both petrol and diesel models, and the company offers electrified versions of all its models. By 2030, PEUGEOT plans to sell only fully electric vehicles in the UK to comply with future emissions standards. Adam Wood, Managing Director of PEUGEOT UK, emphasizes the importance of improving urban air quality and the company’s commitment to helping drivers avoid charges and reduce emissions by offering incentives like the e-Grant.

The tables provided in the article showcase the income generated by various clean air initiatives in different local authorities and the estimated annual costs for motorists entering non-compliant vehicles into the zones on a daily basis. It is important to note that the time periods for enforcement and fee structures vary among different zones.

News

Non-ULEZ-compliant classics at discounted prices

If you don’t live in London, you might not think that the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) is something you should be concerned about. However, it can actually be good news if you’re looking for a great deal on a car.

The ULEZ is expanding to the outer border of the M25 on August 29th, which means that thousands more motorists will be charged to drive non-compliant cars. As a result, the market for these cars has been flooded, causing prices to drop significantly.

Now is the perfect time to buy a comfortable diesel for your daily commute, a small supermini for quick trips to the store, or even to invest in a potential future classic car.

Using these non-compliant cars outside of built-up areas should not make you feel guilty. The open air in the countryside dilutes the toxic NOx emissions to a level that is not a public health risk.

In addition, many of the diesel cars that don’t meet the NOx standards for the ULEZ actually emit less CO2 than their petrol counterparts. Since CO2 contributes to climate change rather than respiratory illnesses, a good diesel car is often a better choice for the environment.

Here is our selection of the best deals on non-ULEZ cars within a 25-mile radius of central London.

The best deals for non-ULEZ cars for motorway driving

Volkswagen Passat (2006-2010)

2006Volkswagen Passat front tracking

The sixth-generation Passat is a comfortable, refined, and spacious saloon that still holds its class almost 20 years later. We found a 2006 model with a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine – capable of more than 50mpg on the motorway – and 72,000 miles on the odometer listed for sale at £1689.

Chrysler 300C (2005-2010)

Chrysler 300C front tracking drifting

This American car stands out from the rest: about 20% of the 300C was based on the 1996-2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, making it a reliable long-distance cruiser. You can get one with the Mercedes-sourced 3.0-litre diesel V6, with less than 100,000 miles on the clock, for just £2595.

Mercedes-Benz CLS (2004-2010)

Mercedes-Benz CLS 2004 side tracking

You can get your hands on one of the world’s finest grand tourers for as little as £3200. We found one with the same V6 engine as the 300C, a full service history, and just two previous owners. With only 58,800 miles driven in 17 years, it still has plenty of life left.

The best deals on non-ULEZ small cars

Toyota Yaris (1999-2000)

Toyota Yaris 1999 front quarter tracking

If you need an affordable second car for quick trips to the store or for teaching a young driver, you can’t go wrong with the first-generation Yaris. We found a 1999 petrol model with only 65,000 miles on the odometer for just £995.