Clean Air Zones - Where are they and when are they coming?

Posted by: My Electric Lease, 17th Mar 2023

Clean Air Zones - often referred to as CAZ - are becoming more commonplace here in the UK. They’re being used to try and reduce inner-city CO2 emissions, while lowering congestion and promoting other forms of transport in the process.

With some Clean Air Zones already firmly in place - and others on the way soon - now’s a good time to get clued up on just what they mean. Here, we’re finding out just what you need to know.

Clean Air Zone Classes

It’s important to note first of all that different Clean Air Zones have different classes, dictating what types of vehicles can drive within them. They range from A to D, so they’re pretty easy to work out. We’ve included the Government’s official table below so you can see just which vehicles fall into which category.

If your vehicle falls within one of these categories, then it’ll have to meet a minimum emissions standard.

Emissions standards

For cars, the Clean Air Zone minimum emissions standards for petrol vehicles is Euro 4. For the most part, this means petrol vehicles built since January 1, 2006. That means it still includes many used vehicles, while brand-new models will be well above and beyond this standard.

When it comes to diesel-powered vehicles, these need to meet more recent - and more stringent - Euro 6 regulations. These are most cars built after September 1, 2015 - but it’s always worth double-checking with the manufacturer of your vehicle to make sure you’re fully aware of which bracket your car falls within before travelling through a Clean Air Zone.

Clean Air Zone Locations

Though a number of cities have Clean Air Zones in place, just a trio of them actually apply to passenger vehicles. The rest largely apply to heavy goods vehicles, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles instead.

Even so, these three zones are in very large cities - so it’s a good idea to be aware of them before you travel there.

Birmingham

Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone operates every single day of the year and covers an area of the city within the A4540 Middleway. If you need to pay the fee, you can do so up to six days prior to travel, the day of travel, or up to six days afterwards.

Those drivers who aren’t in a car exempt from the charge will need to pay £8 per day. This payment can be done online, too.

Bristol

Bristol’s Clean Air Zone covers much of the city centre. It comes with a £9 daily charge for both petrol and diesel vehicles, with, like other schemes, electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles kept exempt.

Motorcycles are also exempt from the charge. It’s in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, each day of the year.

London (ULEZ)

London’s own Ultra Low Emissions Zone - ULEZ - currently covers the entire area within the North and South Circular roads. In order to meet ULEZ requirements, diesel cars must be Euro 6 and above while petrol cars must meet Euro 4.

If your car doesn’t meet these, it’ll require a £12.50 daily charge to enter the zone. It’s also in operation 24 hours a day for every day of the year, bar Christmas Day.

It’s expected that the ULEZ will be expanded to cover all London boroughs from August 29, 2023.

Oxford

Oxford’s Clean Air Zone is rather small in comparison to other schemes, covering around nine streets within the city. All private cars will have to pay between £2 and £10, with electric cars exempt from the charge.

It’s expected that these prices will double from August 2025, too.

What’s coming next?

It’s expected that a number of extra cities will be bringing their own Clean Air Zones into place. Large cities include Aberdeen - which brings its scheme into place in 2024.

A scheme for Manchester has also been proposed, though it’s due to be consulted on during summer 2023.