FOI - The ULEZ and vehicle engine size [Jun 2023]

Your request

1. My car is a 1.4 litre automatic petrol car which I bought in May 2000. My friend bought a Jaguar which has approximately double the engine size, one year later. My car falls outside the ULEZ standards but my friend's does not. What was the 'cut off' point for a car to be eligible to pay the ULEZ charge? Does it relate to year of manufacture?
2. Per above, why would my friend's car with a much higher engine size manufactured in 2001 not be eligible to pay the charge, whereas my smaller car manufactured a year earlier does? 
3. Since buying my car from new in May 2000, I have only driven under 57,000 miles during that time. This is because I am always conscious of the environment so I walk and take public transport wherever possible. Despite this, I am being penalised. I am also not eligible for the scrappage scheme. Why was the scrappage scheme not made available universally, if so few cars are seemingly going to be affected?
4. Why is the scheme being introduced so quickly, which could cause many people a great  deal of financial hardship (during a cost of living crisis) and could very much affect the livelihoods of some local businesses?
5. What would you say to someone like me, who has wholly done the right thing yet is going to find themselves having to pay huge amounts of money just to drive when it is necessary? What thinking did you build in, for someone like me, to your plans?

Our response

The ULEZ standards are not based on engine size but instead specifically target the air pollutants which are most harmful to human health: nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM).

These are regulated by the Euro engine standards which are the standards the ULEZ is based on. Compliance with these limits is precisely tested and measured before engines can be put on the market.

To meet the emission levels mandated by the Euro standards, modern engine emissions are controlled by different types of after-treatment systems, including particulate filters and catalytic convertors. These are the true determinants of NOx and PM tailpipe emissions, not the engine size.

The implementation of progressive Euro standards is why newer vehicles are much less polluting than older vehicles. The standards chosen as the basis for compliance with the ULEZ are Euro 4 for petrol cars and light vans (widely available since 2006), Euro 6 for diesel cars and light vans (widely available since 2016), and Euro 3 for motorcycles (widely available since 2007). These reflect the points at which new Euro Standards resulted in a very large drop in permitted NOx and PM emissions compared to previous standards.

As set out in the Mayoral Decision (MD) to expand the ULEZ London-wide and Report to the Mayor (Appendix 2 of the MD), Transport for London (TfL) proposed the launch of a new large-scale and targeted vehicle scrappage scheme to mitigate a number of potentially adverse impacts on individuals and groups identified in the Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) for the scheme proposals and by stakeholders during the consultation process. TfL designed the scheme having regard to the IIA, consultation responses and stakeholder discussions. 

On 1 June 2023, the Mayor announced that TfL will be expanding eligibility for the scheme to include tens of thousands more Londoners, including those receiving child benefit and all small businesses in the capital. These changes will launch in July 2023. 

TfL is responsible for the design and administration of the ULEZ scrappage scheme. You may wish to send a further request to TfL at [email protected]

Following a public consultation that ran from 20 May to 29 July 2022, the Mayor announced on 25 November 2022 that he had decided to expand the ULEZ London-wide in August 2023. 

You can read his decision, including the rationale and supporting evidence base on the GLA website.

The full consultation report, which includes an analysis of the responses received and themes raised, the independent IIA (which assessed potential health, environment, equality, and economic impacts of the scheme consultation proposals on different groups), and other supporting documents are appended to the MD and also available on the TfL consultation website. 

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting 
reference MGLA190623-0037.