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Clean Air Zones (caz)
Clean air zones are areas that charge or penalise highly polluting vehicles based on their emissions levels.
These zones are implemented by local authorities in areas where air pollution levels have been identified as dangerous to health.
How do Clean Air Zones work?
CAZ differ from city to city. Every zone is in operation 24/7, using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to check every vehicle driving in the zone to make sure appropriate fees are paid. These fees are separate from any congestion charges that may also apply and should be made using the relevant Government portal.
Vehicles will only be charged when they are seen driving in a zone. If a vehicle is driven into a zone on Monday and is left parked up until Friday, the driver will only have to pay for Monday and Friday. Penalties are applied for non-payment.
Every vehicle type has a minimum emission standard – this can be found in a vehicle’s logbook. The vehicle must meet the minimum standard to avoid a fine when entering a CAZ.
| Vehicle Type | CAZ Minimum Standard |
|---|---|
| Buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles | Euro 6 |
| Vans, minibuses, cars, private hire vehicles | Euro 6 (diesel) & Euro 4 (petrol) |
| Motorcycles | Euro 3 |
Clean Air Zone Categories
Clean Air Zone Categories
Company car customers are only likely to be impacted by the Class D categories, though this is dependent on the type of vehicle they drive.
Business customers can use the Government’s vehicle checker to check what charges are in place and how to pay the charge. There’s also information for businesses with multiple vehicles and contact details for more support.
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Whether your business customers are looking to switch to EV, future-proof their fleet or just find the best vehicles for their area, sharing these links will give them the latest Government information.
Low Emission Vehicle Grants ending
The plug-in grant for cars has come to an end as the focus moves to improving electric vehicle charging. The Government will now concentrate funding on expanding the public charge point network as well as electric taxis, vans, trucks, motorcycles and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
The grants available for Government approved, new, low-emission vans and trucks will continue until 2024/25.
Eligibility:
Dealers and manufacturers can get a discount on the price of brand-new low-emission vehicles through a government grant. Only vehicles that have been approved by the government are eligible for a grant and have the following criteria:
- Small Vans
- Large Vans
- Taxis
Taxis
These vehicles are purpose-built taxis
- CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km
- Capable of at least 112km (70 miles)
LEV grant covers up to 20% of the purchase price up to a maximum of £7,500.
Homecharge Scheme
The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme is now only available to:
- Homeowners who live in flats
- Households in rental accommodation (flats and single-use)
It helps private plug-in vehicle owners offset some of the upfront cost of purchasing and installing a dedicated domestic charging unit.
The grant is a 75% contribution towards the cost of one charge point and its installation up to a maximum of £350 (including VAT) per installation.
Workplace Charging Scheme (wcs)
The WCS is a voucher-based scheme providing eligible applicants with support towards the upfront costs of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle (EV) charge points.
It is available in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. The scheme is run by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and administered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA)
Set up by the European Commission, the Road Safety Group proposed the “Vision Zero” concept with the aim of reducing road deaths to or as close as possible to zero by 2050.
Alongside the 27 EU member states, Norway and Switzerland, the UK has indicated that the ISA Regulation will be adopted into national law.
All new cars and vans given type approval from May 2022 will have Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) fitted and those already on sale must comply by May 2024. ISA is an in-vehicle system designed to assist drivers in complying with speed limits.
Particular focus will be on fleet operators and their drivers to comply will speed limits and adopt a zero tolerance to excess speed.
International Road Haulage
In 2022 the rules relating to transporting goods to or through Europe changed as part of the UK’s Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU.
The rules apply when transporting goods using:
- Cars and trailers
- Vans or other light goods vehicles
- Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs)
The immediate impact may mean that operators:
- Have to register some journeys within Europe on an online service
- May need a vehicle operator licence if they use vans or cars and trailers to transport goods to or through Europe
What to do:
- Check which types of journeys must be registered online
- Check what actions transport companies and couriers need to complete to use vans or cars with trailers over 2.5 tonnes to transport goods in and out of the UK