The Ultra Low Emissions Zone, or ULEZ, expanded across all London boroughs on August 29th 2023. This act possibly left thousands of people paying the £12.50 daily charge for their vehicles not meeting the emissions zone standard. If your car isn’t Ulez-compliant, you can send it to Ukraine from March 15th and receive the standard grant of up to £2,000, thanks to London Mayor, Sadiq Khan.
Before this scheme was proposed in January, the only options you had if your car wasn’t Ulez-compliant was to either scrap or retrofit the car to meet the emissions cap. Or drive it around at the cost of £12.50 per day if you’re absolutely mad. Now, in a continued effort to support Ukraine in its war against Russia, eligible vehicles will be shipped to Ukraine as a form of donation.
How much do you get for sending a non-Ulez compliment vehicle to Ukraine?
So how much is offered to those willing to donate their old non-Ulez-compliant vehicle to Ukraine? Well, the same amount of money is being offered as though you were scrapping the vehicle under the Ulez scheme. That means you could get up to £2,000 for an eligible car and up ti £1,000 for an eligible motorcycle.
Sadiq Kahn has stated that there is “plenty of money left” in the scrappage fund, according to GBNews, so the Mayor is encouraging those who have non-compliant vehicles to send them as an aid to Ukraine.
According to Transport for London, the British Ukrainian Aid will be the charity supporting the scheme and aiding the government in sending these vehicles to Ukraine.
Christina Calderato, director of transport strategy and policy at TfL, says that the £210million budget is helping the citizens of London transition to more sustainable modes of transport, resulting in a cleaner capital City.
What vehicles are considered non-Ulez-compliant?
Whether or not your car classes as Ulez-compliant depends on what type of fuel it uses, and Diesel cars are getting hit pretty hard on this one, especially if you’re a new driver owning your first car.
Petrols need to meet Euro 4 standards, which means the car has to be manufactured AFTER January 2006 (06 plate). Diesels on the other hand have to meet Euro 6 standards, meaning they have to be manufactured AFTER September 2015 (65 plate).
If your car is considered a classic car, then congrats, you are Ulez-exempt. To qualify for classic car exemption, your car must have been manufactured before January 1st 1973.
It’s not just you that’s donating either, the London Ambulance Service is said to be donating 50 decommissioned ambulances that do not fit the Ulez standard. Which, if you ask us, is a far better use of old unwanted vehicles than just sitting in a scrapyard.
What does this mean for new drivers in the London area?
In conclusion
Although the Ulez scheme has sparked up a bit of a fuss since it’s implementation, we understand that it’s clearing up our air to make the capital better for everyone. We only get one planet, and until we find a way to live on mars, we should look after it.
Sadiq Khan has done well to introduce this tweak to the Ulez scrapping scheme to provide more aid to Ukraine, the people who need it the most. If you want to get rid of your old non Ulez-compliant car, you can now do so by sending it to Ukraine.
Jack is a beginner driver with a keen interest in cars. He’s been a fan of cars for 17 years, which started when he used to play Colin McRae Rally 3 on the PS2 as a child and refused to choose anything other than the Subaru Impreza 22b. He has a passion for saving money and wants to find all of the best tips and tricks to save money as a new or beginner driver.
Favourite Car
- 1998 MK4 Toyota Supra
