Caravanning organisations say they are disappointed that London Mayor Sadiq Khan has not exempted motorhomes and campervans in his plan to expand London’s ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) to the whole Greater London area next year.
The mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced in December that from 29 August 2023, anyone driving a vehicle with a diesel engine that is not Euro 6 or a petrol engine that is not at least Euro 4 (or later) will have to pay £12.50 a day to enter the ULEZ area. (NB the M25 is exempt.)
The National Caravan Council (NCC – the trade body) commented: “The extension of the ULEZ Scheme is part of an increasing number of green initiatives designed to control vehicle emissions and improve air quality in city centres, and we acknowledge that such environmental measures are necessary and inevitable in today’s world. As diesel vehicles must meet Euro 6 standards to be ULEZ compliant, there will be a number of motor caravan owners who could be affected.
“However, motor caravans and campervans are purchased for ‘occasional leisure use’ – users on average clock up just 3,000 miles over 31 days per year. In view of the low usage of these vehicles and the fact that most motor caravan owners have a keen awareness of environmental issues and embrace responsible use, it is regrettable that these vehicle have not been considered as an ‘exemption’ category from paying the ULEZ charges.
“Those owners based in London may need to consider keeping their vehicles in storage areas outside the ULEZ zone. For those heading out on holiday, the M25 remains exempt from the charge – as it was for the LEZ – and will continue to facilitate travel to the popular sites e.g. to the west country and to the ports.
“For motorhome dealerships in or on the periphery of the new ULEZ area, the change is likely to impact on supply. Given the ongoing base vehicle and component restrictions, there are already longer than normal lead times for delivery of new vehicles. For some time, there has been a shortage of used stock, caused by new entrants to the market, with no vehicle to part exchange – some dealerships may struggle to source enough compliant pre-owned vehicles to meet demand.”
To read more about the changes and to check if a vehicle is compliant, visit the TFL website.