Diesel Cars and ULEZ

Officers are preparing an answer.

The ULEZ specifically targets the vehicle emissions that are most harmful to human health: nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). These are regulated by the Euro engine standards. In contrast, vehicle excise duty (“road tax”) is set by the Government and the current tiered system is based on carbon dioxide emissions. The standards chosen as the basis for compliance with the ULEZ reflect the points at which new Euro standards resulted in a very large drop in permitted emissions compared to previous standards. For example, Euro 5 diesel cars were permitted to emit 125% more NOx than Euro 6 diesel cars. This is why the ULEZ requires all diesel vehicles to meet the Euro 6 standard.

We know that diesel engine exhaust emissions are harmful to human health and that the real-world emissions of diesel engines can be drastically worse when driven in dense urban environments, such as London.

‘Clean diesel’ is a marketing tool used to indicate that diesel vehicles have lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and higher fuel efficiency than petrol vehicles. The £20 annual vehicle tax rate your constituent pays is based on the vehicle’s CO2 emissions. Vehicle tax rates have now changed for vehicles registered since 2017, with only zero emission capable cars paying the lower rates and a first-year surcharge to reflect the level of CO2 emitted and the higher air pollutant emissions from certain diesels.

Unlike other cities with Clean Air Zones, Londoners have received no support for scrappage from central Government. In London, we are using limited resources to do a job that really needs Government leadership through a targeted national scheme, which is why I will continue to lobby Government for funding support in London.