ULEZ question

[Merlin5]

Hi guys. I just checked on the government ULEZ page and my car seems to be exempt from any emission zone charges. I only need to pay congestion zone. 

 

My understanding was that once a petrol car is 15 years old,  ULEZ charges have to be paid. That would mean I've only got 5 months left as my Auris was registered March 2007. But I read something today about 2005 cars and am now wondering if 15 years is correct or if I have 2 years further exemption?

"Petrol cars that meet the ULEZ standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA after 2005, although cars that meet the standards have been available since 2001. Diesel cars that meet the standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA after September 2015."

 

[Cyker]

That's not entirely correct - So, for cars, as long it's either Euro 4 or better for Petrols, or Euro6 or better for Diesels, then it's exempt full stop (At least until they move the goal posts again).

Pretty much any Petrol car made this century will be exempt, but only virtually new diesels are exempt - Your Auris should be perpetually exempt (Until they move the goal posts anyway). My colleague's 3 liter V6 SUV is also exempt, while my Mk1 Yaris diesel wasn't.

This is partly why the CO2 levels in London have been rising, as people have been dumping their diesels (the ones government originally convinced us to buy!!) for older and greater-CO2 producing petrol cars; It's going to get a lot worse too as a very large number of motorists still seem to be oblivious to the upcoming ULEZ extension.

The Mayor has been keeping it very very quiet - I only saw the first proper sign last week (It was partially hidden behind another sign - Couldn't have made it harder to see if they tried!). At the beginning of the year they'd started putting notices on advertising banners. In bus stops. I swear they've been deliberately trying to do the minimum to notify people - They probably saw how much money was made in the first month from changing the Dartford crossing, and are probably rubbing their hands gleefully in anticipation of the huge windfall in fines and fees they'll get from the ULEZ on the 25th!

I've been trying to warn as many people as I can but it's scary how many people still don't seem to know!!

Spread the word!!

[Merlin5]

1 hour ago, Cyker said:

That's not entirely correct - So, for cars, as long it's either Euro 4 or better for Petrols, or Euro6 or better for Diesels, then it's exempt full stop (At least until they move the goal posts again).

Pretty much any Petrol car made this century will be exempt, but only virtually new diesels are exempt - Your Auris should be perpetually exempt (Until they move the goal posts anyway). My colleague's 3 liter V6 SUV is also exempt, while my Mk1 Yaris diesel wasn't.

This is partly why the CO2 levels in London have been rising, as people have been dumping their diesels (the ones government originally convinced us to buy!!) for older and greater-CO2 producing petrol cars; It's going to get a lot worse too as a very large number of motorists still seem to be oblivious to the upcoming ULEZ extension.

The Mayor has been keeping it very very quiet - I only saw the first proper sign last week (It was partially hidden behind another sign - Couldn't have made it harder to see if they tried!). At the beginning of the year they'd started putting notices on advertising banners. In bus stops. I swear they've been deliberately trying to do the minimum to notify people - They probably saw how much money was made in the first month from changing the Dartford crossing, and are probably rubbing their hands gleefully in anticipation of the huge windfall in fines and fees they'll get from the ULEZ on the 25th!

I've been trying to warn as many people as I can but it's scary how many people still don't seem to know!!

Spread the word!!

Hey Cyker, thanks, that sounds good to me! So hopefully when I type my number plate into the ULEZ page after March, it'll still say I'm exempt. I don't know much about Euro 4 but I always put regular unleaded in from supermarket petrol stations. 99.9% it's Tesco and every now and then at Morrisons.

[Cyker]

Don't worry, it's nothing to do with what fuel you use. I looked on Parkers.co.uk and it says your car is rated Euro4 emissions compliant so it definitely will not attract a ULEZ charge for the moment! (Of course it's likely they'll change it in the future but I imagine you'll be safe for a few years at least!)

 

[yossarian247]

There is no significance to a vehicle being 15 years old or more. Euro 4 become compulsory for cars registered from 1st January 2006 onwards, which just happens to have been about 15 years ago and may be why you heard a reference to 15 years? There is no 'rolling date' as such so, as above, until the rules change again your car will always be exempt.

[Stopeter44]

15 hours ago, Cyker said:

My colleague's 3 liter V6 SUV is also exempt, while my Mk1 Yaris diesel wasn't.

This is partly why the CO2 levels in London have been rising, as people have been dumping their diesels (the ones government originally convinced us to buy!!) for older and greater-CO2 producing petrol cars; It's going to get a lot worse too as a very large number of motorists still seem to be oblivious to the upcoming ULEZ extension.

Yikes! While I made the switch from a 1.5 litre diesel to 1.2 litre petrol in 2016 because of the fine particles, I think it's true that the diesels emitted less C0² pollution. It does strike me as crazy that a 3 litre petrol would be OK, and the 1 litre not, even from the point of view of fine particle emissions.

You know, diesel vs petrol, in some respects, is even worse in France, because of the nuclear power stations. Why ? Well it's because when France went nuclear there was a surplus of diesel fuel to dispose of, so fuel tax on diesel is significantly below diesel, making 1 litre of diesel often 0.10€ less than E10. 

In 2017 as part of a "greening up" policy the government increased Diesel fuel tax, and for a few weeks diesel was more expensive, people went ape sheet, and some even died, because of it. It was the start of the "Gilets Jaunes" (Yellow/Hiviz jackets) protests in France. Maybe the English are just to civilised (or docile) ?

Edited October 19, 2021 by Stopeter44
I was censored

[Cyker]

Haha yeah, my mate's missus is French and he used to semi-regularly goto France via the eurotunnel with her to visit the inlaws... and also refuel the car

We both miss having cars that can go such ridiculous distances without refueling, although the Mk4 I have now does pretty well considering its thimble-sized tank!  

But remember when all the truckers here were doing rolling blockades of the motorways in protest of the sharply rising fuel prices? Probably not enough of them left to do that again now tho'...!

 

[Stopeter44]

20 minutes ago, Cyker said:

But remember when all the truckers here were doing rolling blockades of the motorways in protest of the sharply rising fuel prices? Probably not enough of them left to do that again now tho'...!

 

Nice one ! 🤣

[Bozz]

5 hours ago, Stopeter44 said:

Yikes! While I made the switch from a 1.5 litre diesel to 1.2 litre petrol in 2016 because of the fine particles, I think it's true that the diesels emitted less C0² pollution. It does strike me as crazy that a 3 litre petrol would be OK, and the 1 litre not, even from the point of view of fine particle emissions.

You know, diesel vs petrol, in some respects, is even worse in France, because of the nuclear power stations. Why ? Well it's because when France went nuclear there was a surplus of diesel fuel to dispose of, so fuel tax on diesel is significantly below diesel, making 1 litre of diesel often 0.10€ less than E10. 

In 2017 as part of a "greening up" policy the government increased Diesel fuel tax, and for a few weeks diesel was more expensive, people went ape sheet, and some even died, because of it. It was the start of the "Gilets Jaunes" (Yellow/Hiviz jackets) protests in France. Maybe the English are just to civilised (or docile) ?

I'm a bit confused by your link between nuclear power stations and diesel fuel - please explain 

[Stopeter44]

1 hour ago, Bozz said:

I'm a bit confused by your link between nuclear power stations and diesel fuel - please explain 

I should have checked my story better. I had always understood, without checking, that there was a link between France moving to nuclear power away from diesel, gas and other fossil fuels for their power stations. In actual fact, it was a post WWII policy of lower taxation on diesel fuel, that was designed to favour farmers and transporters, to keep their costs down.

Renault & PSA developed small Diesel engines after the 70s and 80s oil price hikes from OPEC, and in France, at least, because of the low taxation, and better mileage per litre, new regs in diesel powered cars continued to climb, until peaking in 2012 at 70+% of new registrations.

new car registrations by year (France)

So, sorry, I was wrong, there is no link.