S2 Clean air zones - Vehicle details are incomplete

[steve briance]

I own a non ULEZ Audi and a ULEZ compliant saab 99. The difference being, the Saab is 51 years old and runs at 3.5%CO through an old stromberg carburettor with a manual choke knob all wrapped up in a not particularly aerodynamic rolling chassis with a 4 speed gearbox.

Doesn't seem quite right/fair to me but im never going to drive it to London so its a non issue.

What I did read recently is that 40+ year old classics are now hot property in London and classic car sales are booming.

In 8 years my Audi qualifies for free ULEZ assuming the rules don't change but im not driving that to London either

[K Simmonds]

Haha yeh, they're doing a srcappage scheme so will get £2,000 for it so that will help towards a newer car

So yet another oh so 'green' scheme that does away with perfectly good vehicles and forces the owner into purchasing a new or at least newer car, do you get a choice in that regard?

This is being done as attempt to stimulate the ruined economy, same as in 2009 after the banks ball's it up in states causing global financial meltdown. There's nothing environmentally friendly about it whatsoever.

And it really will penalise the worst off in society the most. Some of whom I'd imagine will be forced off the roads if they can't top up the £2K up enough to buy a car that qualify's.

[B5NUT]

The question is when do they move the goal posts. It's currently Euro 4 petrol & Euro 6 diesel. Cannot see then changing the Euro level on diesel but I think petrol will change to 6 at some point.

[Rikki Kitto]

Haha yeh, they're doing a srcappage scheme so will get £2,000 for it so that will help towards a newer car

[B5NUT]

I'm in a pickle as the ULEZ zone is coming right out to the M25 I have the S2 and the Missis has a 20 year old Bettle both not covered so evry time we go off the drive it will be £12.50Thanks Sadique you banker

So if you drove your car off the drive every day for a year that would be over £4.5K I take it the beetle is going and a ULEZ compliant car purchased.

[B5NUT]

Got an email back today they have sorted the issue. So I can now drive into Newcastle without charge, but as suspected it's not ULEZ compliant. However I don't see myself driving to London in the car so not really an issue.

[hunker7]

I think it is Euro 4 for petrol engines and Euro 5 for diesels, so none of the 2.2s will be compliant. My old 2002 A8 4.2 was compliant as that was Euro 4.

That's assuming it has same requirements as London

[K Simmonds]

Well that's something but it's going to make using your S2 and your missus Beetle nonviable, certainly long term.

[Rikki Kitto]

Bikes exempt luckily

[K Simmonds]

I'm in a pickle as the ULEZ zone is coming right out to the M25 I have the S2 and the Missis has a 20 year old Bettle both not covered so evry time we go off the drive it will be £12.50Thanks Sadique you banker

That's crazy, this legislation is totally unfair to drivers of older cars, who somewhat perversely are the greenest of all the road users, apart from cyclists I guess.

What's the score with your bike Rikki, how much does the government want to charge you for the pleasure of using that, on top 'road tax' and the vast sum's they rake in from fuel?

[K Simmonds]

I was looking into this ULEZ/Clean air zone. For what I can see is it's a great stealth tax to remove old diesel cars and get the less wealthy in society off the road. I was looking at an 2002 A2, one being TDI and the other petrol. The petrol was exempt and the diesel was taxed. For London with the clean ULEZ and the congestion charge you will be paying almost £28 a day, so around £560 a month and then you still need to add all the usual motoring expenses. Old diesels will be dropping in price in the area's ULEZ/Clean air zone, as no one will want them.

I got a responce back to my email today and have been told they are investigating the car to see if it compliant or not however I'm guessing it's not going to be, but as my other 3 are I'm covered.

I agree Lee, this is a stealth tax on older Diesel car's and in turn the poor.

Non of it makes any sense, you could take every car off the road and it really wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to global C02 levels, what car's push out is just a drop in the ocean compared to aircraft, shipping and the biggest polluter of all unregulated heavy industry in places like China.

I try not to spend too much time thinking about it as it doesn't do me any good.

[B5NUT]

I was looking into this ULEZ/Clean air zone. For what I can see is it's a great stealth tax to remove old diesel cars and get the less wealthy in society off the road. I was looking at an 2002 A2, one being TDI and the other petrol. The petrol was exempt and the diesel was taxed. For London with the clean ULEZ and the congestion charge you will be paying almost £28 a day, so around £560 a month and then you still need to add all the usual motoring expenses. Old diesels will be dropping in price in the area's ULEZ/Clean air zone, as no one will want them.

I got a responce back to my email today and have been told they are investigating the car to see if it compliant or not however I'm guessing it's not going to be, but as my other 3 are I'm covered.

[Rikki Kitto]

I'm in a pickle as the ULEZ zone is coming right out to the M25 I have the S2 and the Missis has a 20 year old Bettle both not covered so evry time we go off the drive it will be £12.50Thanks Sadique you banker

[YELL MAN]

Even if that isn't the problem hopefully DVLA will get it sorted out for you.

[B5NUT]

Interesting, will have to contact the DVLA, as my S2 is also a coupe.