Have you been driving around London and spotted a bright green ULEZ sign? If you weren’t sure what it meant or what you were supposed to do, read on to find out everything you need to know. In this guide, we’ll cover:
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What ULEZ means
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The ULEZ standards
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ULEZ compliant cars
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How ULEZ works
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The ULEZ charge
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ULEZ vehicle checker
What does ULEZ mean?
ULEZ stands for Ultra Low Emission Zone. These zones are set up to help improve air quality and decrease pollution caused by vehicles in some busy, high-traffic areas. In 2019, the first ULEZ appeared in Central London – across the same area as the congestion charge. In 2021, it grew to cover more Inner London areas on the North (A406) and South Circular (A205). By 2023, it will cover all Greater London. There is also the Low Emission Zones (LEZ) and in Bath, Birmingham and Portsmouth there are now similar Clean Air Zones (CAZ) with plans to roll out more in Bradford, Bristol and Manchester.
What are the ULEZ standards?
When travelling through a ULEZ, cars need to meet ULEZ Euro emissions standards. To improve air quality, the Euro standards set limits on the harmful engine pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). If a vehicle doesn’t meet these standards, the driver will have to pay a charge to the government.
ULEZ standards
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Euro 3 for motorcycles, mopeds, motorised tricycles and quadricycles (L category)
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Euro 4 (NOx) for petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles
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Euro 6 (NOx and PM) for diesel cars, vans and minibuses and other specialist vehicles
What cars are ULEZ compliant?
All vehicles are subject to the ULEZ charge (apart from specialist heavy vehicles, lorries or vans over 3.5 tonnes and buses, coaches or minibuses over 5 tonnes). But different vehicle types are measured by different standards. Petrol engines and petrol hybrids need to meet the Euro 4 standard while diesel engines and diesel hybrids need to meet the Euro 6 standard. All electric cars produce no emissions and are ULEZ compliant.
Which year cars are ULEZ compliant?
The ULEZ charge depends on the volume of harmful emissions your car releases, not the age. However, since the charges were introduced, car manufacturers have tried to make sure newer vehicles are ULEZ compliant. As a general rule:
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Petrol cars registered with the DVLA after 2005 should be compliant.
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Diesel cars registered with the DVLA after September 2015 should be compliant.
Classic cars
Classic cars are not ULEZ compliant in terms of emissions. However, if they’re more than 40 years old and registered in the historic vehicle class, they are road tax exempt meaning drivers don’t have to pay ULEZ charges either.
How does ULEZ work?
The charge applies from midnight until midnight, every day apart from Christmas Day. If a car drives within the ULEZ zone and does not meet the standards, the driver needs to pay by midnight on the third day after the journey. If you’re highly organised, you can also pay the charge up to 90 days in advance of travel.
How much is the ULEZ charge?
If a car, van, minibus, motorcycle, moped, lorry or larger vehicle is not ULEZ compliant, the driver must pay a daily to travel within this zone. If this charge is not paid, a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is issued. This is reduced if the charge is paid within 14 days. You can find the latest costs here
How to pay the ULEZ charges ?
Visit the Tfl website to pay online, download the Tfl ‘Pay to drive in London’ app or call by phone on 0343 222 2222. Regular travellers in ULEZ (with a non-compliant vehicle) have the option to set up an auto pay features which bills automatically.
ULEZ vehicle checker
The best way to quickly find out if your car is exempt from any LEZ or ULEZ charge, is by using the Transport for London (TFL) vehicle checker. If you’re driving in a CAZ, you can use the gov.uk vehicle checker.
Buying ULEZ compliant vehicles from SPOTiCAR
You can find thousands of used approved petrol, diesel, hybrid and all-electric cars at SPOTiCAR. Once you’ve spotted one you like, head to one of our 500 retailers across the country, where our experts can talk you through whether the car meets the Euro standards. With tonnes of more recent used models, we are guaranteed to have plenty of ULEZ compliant vehicles which all come with a minimum of 12 months’ warranty and 12 months’ roadside cover. To discover more of our great driver benefits, read all of our commitments and guarantees.
