What ULEZ actually is
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is an area covering all London boroughs where vehicles that don't meet minimum emissions standards must pay a daily charge to drive, currently £12.50 for cars and vans. It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day, and is enforced by number-plate recognition cameras, not manual checks, so there's no way to avoid it by luck.
Which cars are exempt
- Petrol cars: generally exempt if they meet Euro 4 standards, roughly registered from 2006 onward, though it depends on the specific engine, not just the year.
- Diesel cars: generally exempt if they meet Euro 6 standards, roughly registered from September 2015 onward.
- Electric vehicles: always exempt, since they have no tailpipe emissions.
"Roughly" matters here: registration date is a useful shortcut, but the actual rule is about the engine's emissions standard, which can vary between models even within the same model year.
Checking before you buy
If you're buying a car you'll drive in or near London regularly, check its ULEZ compliance against the exact registration before you commit, rather than assuming based on the year alone. MOTCO's ULEZ checker confirms compliance status by registration number, so you know the daily charge won't be an ongoing cost you hadn't budgeted for.
A non-compliant car isn't necessarily a bad buy if the price already reflects the ongoing charge, but it's worth knowing before you negotiate, not after.
Common questions
How much is the ULEZ daily charge?
£12.50 per day for cars and vans that don't meet the emissions standard, charged every day the vehicle is driven within the zone, including weekends, except Christmas Day.
Is my car automatically exempt if it's electric?
Yes, fully electric vehicles are always ULEZ-exempt, since the scheme is based on tailpipe emissions and EVs have none.