Most gasoline cars registered after January 2006 and most diesel cars registered after September 2015 are ULEZ-compliant and can drive in the Ultra Low Emission Zone without charge. The key standard is meeting specific Euro emissions standards: Euro 4 for gasoline vehicles and Euro 6 for diesel vehicles. You can check your vehicle's compliance for free on the Transport for London (TfL) website by entering your license plate number.
The ULEZ standards are based on the amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter a vehicle emits. While the registration date is a good initial guide, the official TfL checker is the most reliable method because some early models met the standards ahead of the mandated dates, and some newer models might not if they were registered after the date but were an older model type.
Certain vehicles are automatically exempt. This includes all fully electric vehicles (EVs) and the majority of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that have a significant electric-only range. Additionally, classic vehicles that are more than 40 years old and have a historic vehicle tax class are exempt from the ULEZ charge.
| Sample of ULEZ-Compliant Models (Checking on TfL website is always recommended) |
|---|
| Ford Fiesta (Gasoline, from approx. 2008) |
| Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI (Diesel, from approx. 2015) |
| Toyota Prius (Hybrid, from 2009 onward) |
| Nissan Leaf (Fully Electric, all models) |
| BMW 3 Series (Diesel, 320d from 2012 onward) |
| Vauxhall Corsa (Gasoline, from approx. 2009) |
| Tesla Model 3 (Fully Electric, all models) |
| Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC (Diesel, from 2014) |
| Mercedes-Benz A-Class (Gasoline, A200 from approx. 2012) |
| Hyundai Ioniq (Hybrid & Electric, all models) |
| Ford Focus (Gasoline, from approx. 2011) |
| Peugeot 208 (Gasoline, from approx. 2012) |
| Toyota Yaris (Hybrid, from 2011 onward) |
| Audi A3 (Diesel, 2.0 TDI from 2012 onward) |
| Kia Niro (PHEV & Electric, all models) |
| Mini Hatch (Gasoline, from approx. 2006) |
| Skoda Octavia (Diesel, 2.0 TDI from 2013) |
| Jaguar I-Pace (Fully Electric, all models) |
If your vehicle is non-compliant, you must pay a daily £12.50 charge to drive within the zone. This charge applies every day of the year except Christmas Day. Failing to pay results in a hefty Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).
