Drivers on London’s ULEZ roads will need to own a vehicle that passes either Euro 6 diesel standards or Euro 4 petrol standards. If a car doesn’t meet these eco-friendly regulations, drivers will be taxed a £12.50 daily fee for entering a ULEZ.  

So far, the expansion has generated £93.6 million of additional revenue through the taxation of non-compliant vehicles. 

An RAC analysis of Transport for London (TfL) figures shows that between November 2021 and June 2022, around 1.9 million journeys were made into the ULEZ every month by vehicles that didn’t fit the correct emissions standards. This resulted in £112.5m worth of revenue from drivers required to pay.

Nicholas Lyes, Head of RAC’s roads policy commented: “The expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in 2021 meant a far larger geographical area was covered by the mayor’s strict vehicle emissions standards. 

“For many, this meant a very stark choice: either replacing their vehicle with a compliant model or paying the £12.50 daily charges Failing to pay the charge wasn’t an option either as it would result in a hefty penalty charge notice.

“The expansion of the ULEZ has resulted in a much-increased revenue stream for Transport for London, notwithstanding the costs associated with introducing the larger ULEZ. Londoners living outside the current ULEZ will now worry about the prospect of further expansion, mooted to be at the end of August 2023.

Mr Lyes added: “We would encourage the mayor to take a pragmatic approach and redouble his efforts to support lower-income families and businesses with non-compliant vehicles with a targeted scrappage scheme ahead of any expansion plans.”

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Lorry drivers are supposed to use specialist sat navs, which provide route guidance that takes into consideration the size of the vehicle before plotting the navigation. These specialist guides plot a course that is fit for the lorry, reviewing bridge heights, narrow roads and country lanes unsuitable for large vehicles. 

Despite the availability of this technology, the LGA has warned that many HGV drivers continue to damage bridges, block small streets, get stuck in villages and crash into bridges; all because they have been poorly guided by a standard car sat nav. 

The LGA is calling on the Goverment to make changes to its forthcoming Transport Bill. They propose a change in the law to compel all HGV drivers to use specialist route guidance to avoid major disruption on local roads. 

The LGA transport spokesperson, Cllr David Renard, commented on the issue at hand: “The spate of accidents we continue to see involving lorries blocking streets, damaging local areas and crashing into bridges on an all too regular basis are causing major disruption to local communities.

“There are more lorry journeys than ever, risking more incidents. HGV mileage grew by nearly 9% over the last year and is back above pre-pandemic levels.

“Councils already work with freight and haulage companies to ensure that lorries use the most suitable routes and roads. However, a minority of drivers continue to follow sat nav systems that take them down routes that are totally inappropriate for the weight and height of their vehicle.

“By making it mandatory for anyone operating an HGV to use a specialist satnav device, the Government can help to reduce the risk of accidents and keep our roads moving.” 

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Start-up energy company, Cheesecake Energy Ltd (CEL), says its ‘eTanker’ battery could speed up electric car charging while also protecting the grid from a potential overload.

The battery is both a green and a low-cost solution as its materials are repurposed from ex-service Volvo truck engines. 

The technology works by heating and compressing air before storing it in a tank containing 20 tonnes of gravel. When electricity is required, the compressed air and heat are used to turn the Volvo truck engines which drive the electric motors in reverse to generate electricity.

This means there is no need for expensive and rare metals, such as cobalt, that are used in traditional lithium-ion batteries. Not only are these hard to resource, but the process of extraction is detrimental to the environment. 

CEL has announced that their new technology could save drivers up to 40% compared to the current cheapest batteries available on the market. 

Annette Pass, head of innovation at National Highways, commented: “Cheesecake’s project is an excellent example of the changes that are being made to reduce carbon in the transport industry. It also plays a part in National Highway’s net zero carbon plan, which will see a rapid cut in carbon from road construction, maintenance and operations, and supports the transition to zero-emission vehicles.”

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