- Only 461 of London’s 24,500 cars meet capital emissions standards
London’s motorists face a shortage of ULEZ-compliant cars as new data reveals fewer than one in 50 cars on sale are ‘affordable’.
Auto Trader research shows that of the 24,500 vehicles on sale across London, only 461 meet capital emissions standards and are affordable at less than £2,000.
As of August 2023, drivers of old, polluting diesel cars will be charged £12.50 a day to drive as part of a plan to reduce air pollution in London.
Transport for London also assured drivers ahead of the rollout that “affordable, compliant vehicles are available, so there is no need to buy a brand new vehicle.” Research suggests otherwise.
Demand for used cars across the UK soared ahead of the introduction of ULEZ, with average advertised prices rising from just £13,600 in February 2020 to £17,880, an increase of 32%.
Ian Plummer, commercial director at Autotrader, said: “For those on a budget, six months after the introduction of the extended ULEZ zone, there are few affordable car options in London. ” he said.
“Less than 500 cars will be sold for less than the £2,000 cap under the Mayor’s scrapping scheme, meaning many will have to pay up to £3,000 in Uless fees or be taken off the road entirely. You may be faced with unpleasant choices.”
Additionally, of the 24,500 vehicles listed on the online marketplace, only 917 (3.7%) did not meet ULEZ requirements.
TfL has launched a £110m scrappage scheme to provide financial support to people getting rid of old cars that pollute the environment, but is only offering £2,000 to drivers who scrap their motors. .
Additionally, the scheme is only available to people who live within the 32 London boroughs, and you can only apply for the scheme if you receive certain low income or disability benefits.
It is estimated that there were around 200,000 non-compliant vehicles in London when the new laws were enacted.
Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall has focused her campaign on fighting ULEZ, which she has vowed to scrap if elected in May.
She said: ‘Sadiq Khan’s new £12.50 a day Ures tax is an absolutely devastating blow to people who cannot afford to go to work, go to hospital or visit their families. “It’s happening,” he said.
“The people who own non-compliant vehicles and are most likely to be affected by this tax are those with the lowest incomes. And despite the mayor’s rhetoric, his own independent impact assessment shows that air quality proved to be of little use in improving