With the London Ultra-Low Emission Zone expanding on the 29th August 2023 to improve the air quality and health of Londoners, new figures suggest that 49% of vans in outer London are not ULEZ compliant.
Despite the many benefits the ULEZ has on reducing air pollution within London, the expansion of the ULEZ will have a significant impact for LCV operators who regularly operate within the London area. In this blog, we will cover the impact the ULEZ expansion will have for van operators and how businesses can become ULEZ compliant instantly – in the most flexible, risk-free way.
Key points of the ULEZ expansion for van operators
- On 29th August 2023, the current London ULEZ is expanding across all London Boroughs
- If your van is not Euro 6 diesel or zero-emissions, you will have to pay a daily charge of £12.50 when you are driving within the ULEZ
- The ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, midnight to midnight, every day of the year, except Christmas Day
ULEZ Scrappage Scheme for vans
To help businesses who are not currently ULEZ compliant prepare for the expansion, the Mayor of London has launched a new scrappage scheme for vans. The scrappage scheme provides a government grant to successful, eligible organisations to scrap or retrofit their non-ULEZ compliant vehicles and switch to a cleaner, compliant vehicle.
The scheme is open to micro businesses (with up to 10 employees), sole traders and registered charities with a registered address within the 32 London boroughs or the City of London (Greater London Area). Small businesses (under 50 employees) will also be eligible to apply to the scrappage scheme.
The scrappage scheme offers a range of grants to help become ULEZ compliant:
- Looking to scrap a non-ULEZ compliant vehicle – £5,000
- Retrofit a non-ULEZ van to become ULEZ compliant – £5,000
- Scrap a non-ULEZ compliant van and replace with an electric van – £7,500
Full details around the scrappage scheme and to start your application, click here.
Why electric vans are the best solution for London van operators
The expansion of the London ULEZ is an example of how the UK is becoming more aggressive in its approach to reducing transport related carbon emissions. With more low emission and clean air zones being introduced across the UK, alongside the zero emissions vehicle mandate likely to be introduced as early as 2024, organisations should be looking at adopting electric vans to become ULEZ compliant over changing to Euro 6 diesel.
Electric vans offer so many benefits to organisations who operate vans in London. Not only are they much easier to maintain and service than ICE vans, maximising vehicle uptime, but they are also the easiest way for businesses to reduce their overall carbon emissions, which is becoming a focal point for securing new business. In addition to this, London and the South East have over 19,000 public charging points installed to date, helping overcome any worries businesses may have around range anxiety.
At Dawsongroup vans, we know that transitioning to electric vans might feel daunting and a bit of a step into the unknown, but it doesn’t have to be. Our unique usership model to asset rental allows your business to introduce electric vans onto fleet in the most risk-free, cost-effective way. We have a range of quality electric vans ready for hire, which are all backed by our unrivalled service levels which Dawsongroup vans have become known for within the industry.
To find out more about becoming ULEZ compliant and introducing electric vans onto your fleet in the most flexible way, get in touch with our team of experts.
