What Makes a Car ULEZ Compliant? (Complete Guide)

Growing environmental concerns resulted in the creation of low emissions zones in major cities across Europe, and London is no exception. Before you venture into England’s thriving capital, you should know if your vehicle is ULEZ compliant or not. This will allow you to plan alternatives, or budget accordingly.

Today, we’ll explore what the ULEZ is, what are the criteria that determine if a car is subject to the ULEZ charge, and how that is affected by the vehicle and fuel type. After reading this article you will be able to determine if your vehicle is free to drive in London, simply by knowing the registration date or using our handy online tool.

So, let’s get going!

So What Exactly is the ULEZ?

ULEZ stands for Ultra Low Emissions Zone. It is an area of Greater London that currently encompasses most of the region encircled by the M25, including every London borough, Heathrow airport and the City of London. In order to be able to drive freely within the ULEZ, your car must meet certain regulations relating to its tailpipe emissions.

A network of cameras scattered across the city captures the registration plates of the cars circulating within the zone, and then compares its information against a database. If your car doesn’t meet the specified criteria, then you must pay a £12.50 charge for every day you drive in the ULEZ. This is active 24/7 all year long, except on Christmas Day.

Essentially, the idea is to improve air quality in the London area by encouraging the use of newer, cleaner vehicles. The measure has been largely criticized because what it actually seems to do is put the onus of cleaning London’s air squarely on the shoulders of consumers with the lowest purchasing power. These are more likely to drive an older vehicle because they can’t afford a newer one, not necessarily by choice. But, that’s a conversation for another day.

If you plan to drive in London, you should first check if your vehicle is ULEZ compliant. If that is the case, then you are good to go! Otherwise, the TfL (Transport for London) recommends that you consider an alternative means of transport, such as the Tube or a ride-sharing service. However, you may choose to simply pay the daily ULEZ fee.

What Cars Are ULEZ Compliant?

So how does the government decide which vehicles are “clean” enough to circulate freely in the ULEZ? Fortunately, they don’t have to think too much. That’s because the European Union already has a set of standards for vehicle emissions that all manufacturers must adhere to in order to sell their cars in European territory, including the UK.

The Euro emissions standards are followed by a number, attributed sequentially every few years when each revised standard comes into place. They establish the maximum admissible level of tailpipe emissions for new vehicles, based on the fuel used and measured using a standard set of procedures.

Here are the criteria for vehicles to be ULEZ compliant:

• Petrol cars must meet the Euro 4 standard (registered after January 2006).

• Diesel cars must meet the Euro 6 standard (registered after September 2015).

• Motorcycles, mopeds, motorized tricycles, and quadricycles (L category) must meet Euro 3 standards for these vehicles (registration after July 2007).

• Large vehicles like buses and lorries are subject to special conditions and might be exempt from the ULEZ charge.

• Electric cars have zero tailpipe emissions and are naturally ULEZ-compliant.

You might be asking yourself: why such a huge, almost 10-year difference between diesel and petrol cars in terms of ULEZ compliance? The answer has to do with the specific types of tailpipe emissions from these engines. We’ll look at that in more detail in another section.

How to Know if My Car is ULEZ Compliant?

The simplest way to know if you can drive your car in the London ULEZ without paying the daily fine is by checking its registration date against the information in the previous section. Any car or motorcycle registered after those dates will not trigger the ULEZ cameras.

However, a car registered before those dates can still be compliant, as manufacturers often release vehicles that meet the next emissions standard ahead of time. For example, a petrol car registered in 2001 may already pass Euro 4 standards and, therefore, be ULEZ compliant. That’s why the most reliable way to confirm ULEZ compliance is by using our online ULEZ checker.

Also, keep in mind that several cars are exempt from the ULEZ charges, regardless of registration date. This includes classic/vintage cars as well as adapted cars for drivers with disability. So, make sure to check if those conditions apply to you.

What’s the Deal with Diesels and ULEZ?

Due to their working principle, diesel engines are generally more efficient than their petrol counterparts. This means that they produce lower amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, since this is directly tied to fuel consumption. Being a major greenhouse gas, CO2 became the number-one enemy of governments in the early days of the Kyoto Protocol, and Europe pushed diesel cars as a more environmentally friendly solution for this reason.

The problem is that, in doing so, they ignored diesel’s major problems: particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions. Exposure to particulate matter has been linked to a number of severe lung diseases, while oxides of nitrogen also contribute to many respiratory problems as well as causing smog and acid rain. These emissions have since become a great cause for concern about the air quality in large urban centers, leading to measures like the ULEZ, which are particularly harsh on diesel cars.

The Euro emissions standards reacted to this in recent years, cracking down on these pollutants by stipulating more and more stringent limits. Despite these efforts, diesel engines still lagged behind a bit when it comes to PM and NOx emissions. Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs), for example, only became mandatory on all new diesel cars in 2009. Modern diesels use advanced exhaust aftertreatment systems like Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR, or AdBlue injection) to meet Euro 6 targets on NOx emissions.

PM and NOx emissions have been a nearly diesel-exclusive issue for many years, although the advent of direct-injection petrol engines has bridged this gap. These days, you can make the argument that new diesel cars are pretty much as clean as petrol cars, but it might still take some time until that can be reflected in the ULEZ regulations.

Conclusion

The London ULEZ is a controversial initiative, but whether or not you agree with it, it is here to stay. Most drivers of petrol-powered vehicles don’t have to worry about the daily charge, as the vast majority of cars and motorcycles registered in the last 18 years are in the clear. Diesel owners, however, are at a disadvantage and need a much newer car if they want to drive in the capital for free.

Zero-emissions vehicles are exempt and, therefore, make an excellent choice if you live near the ULEZ or drive in it regularly. There are also many exceptions and/or discounts, so always check the Transport for London website if you are in doubt.

To avoid an unexpected ULEZ charge, all you need to know is the registration date, but our online ULEZ checker is a quicker and more reliable option. So, consider using that instead! Follow these tips to ensure your next trip to London goes as smoothly as possible – your wallet and the environment will thank you.