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If you are travelling into London in a car or van, you need to do some research, fill in some forms and get out your credit card - even if you have a fully electric car. Don't imagine you will escape if you never drive in to the capital either - Clean Air Zones, Ultra Low Emission Zones and Congestion Charges will be coming to other major cities soon as local governments look to clean up the air in urban areas.
Here's what you need to know.
The London Congestion Charge has been around for nearly two decades, and taking exhaust gases out of the Capital’s air was one reason for its introduction. An increasing number of other British cities have similar plans for what are generally known as CAZ Clean Air Zones, focusing on areas of serious emissions-sourced air pollution.
Let's start with the London Congestion Charge. This now costs £15 per day if you pay in advance (or £17.50 if you pay up to three days after). This now applies to all non-electric cars, including PHEVs. If you own a battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle you can apply for a 100% discount, but it involves sending off copies (or scans) of your documents to TfL every year and paying a £10 fee - you can't just drive in on a whim or you'll get a fine. This will need to be renewed every year, and then from 25 December 2025, the cleaner vehicle discount will be discontinued completely and electric cars will have to pay too. For more detail, read our full guide on electric cars and the congestion charge.
The capital has also introduced an Ultra Low Emission Zone which expanded charging zones to the areas within the North and South Circular Roads (see here). This charge is aimed purely at more polluting vehicles which don't meet the latest emission regulations. Controversially, the rules aren't based on CO2 output but instead use particulate measurements. This means that an eight year old Audi diesel might have to pay the charge while a V8 Range Rover petrol won't.
The TfL website will tell you if your car is exempt or if you need to pay and the charge is currently £12.50 per day. Unlike the congestion charge, you don't need to register for an exemption.
What if I can't afford to buy a new car?
The Mayor of London implemented a range of schemes to help low-income drivers in London scrap older, more polluting vehicles. These ‘scrappage’ schemes are a grant which gives car owners money to take their vehicles off the road permanently. Grants for minibuses and commercial vehicles are available for small businesses and charities.
For private motorists, the grant gives £1,000 to scrap a motorcycle or moped and £2,000 to scrap a car. There are rules though – you have to live within the 32 London boroughs or the City of London and be claiming benefits. To prevent people just buying up old cars to get the grant, they need to have been owned and registered for more than 12 months before 23 October 2019. The car must also be insured, MOT’d and taxed. It must also not be ULEZ compliant.
CAZ in other cities
To start with, most zones will be exempting private cars from their pay-to-drive plans, however polluting they might be, but there will be some exceptions.
Many buses, commercial vehicles, taxis and often older petrol cars that don’t meet Euro 4 exhaust gas regulations (Euro 6 for diesels) are in the charging firing line.
There will be signage to tell drivers when they’re crossing a CAZ border, number plate recognition cameras to record vehicles, and official payment portals -just like the long-standing London Congestion Charge.
There are four CAZ charging categories, which will operate constantly all year round:
- A. For buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles.
- B. Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles and mini buses.
- C. Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire and heavy goods vehicles, vans and minibuses.
- D. Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses, cars. Motorcycles can be included if a local authority wants this.
