Ensure your commercial vehicles are ULEZ compliant

The Ultra Low Emission Zone or ULEZ is an initiative designed to help clean up the air in London. It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the only exception being 25^th December (Christmas Day). The Zone applies to all areas within the North and South Circular roads and this link allows users to identify if their journeys will take them in to this Zone – https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/ulez-where-and-when?intcmp=52227

Any vehicle travelling through the Zone which does not meet the ULEZ emission standard incurs a daily charge of £12.50. This is applicable to Cars, Motorcycles, Vans, Specialist Vans (up to 3.5 tonnes) and Minibuses (up to 5 tonnes).

For larger vehicles such as Lorries, Vans, Specialist Vans (all over 3.5 tonnes), Minibuses (over 5 tonnes), Buses & Coaches the ULEZ does not apply instead the LEZ charge will apply if they do not meet the appropriate emissions standards.

Any business operating a commercial fleet where journeys involve transportation into London will need to be mindful of the ULEZ. In order to meet the standard a vehicle must comply as follows:

• Motorcycles, mopeds, motorised tricycles and quadricycles (L category) – Euro 3
• Petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles – Euro 4 (NOx)
• Diesel cars, vans and minibuses and other specialist vehicles – Euro 6 (NOx and PM)

Any business running a commercial fleet where journeys require trips into and out of central London will know first-hand how important it is to make sure their vehicles are fully compliant. They will deploy strategies to ensure that their vehicles are regularly upgraded.

Often fleets will include a variety of types of vehicles such as cars, trucks and refrigerated vans. Of course, it is not easy to maintain them as a good level of cashflow is needed. This is why commercial vehicle finance is so beneficial. There are 3 options available to help keep a fleet up-to-date without having to impact cashflow

• Hire purchase – a monthly payment fee is agreed for the vehicle, however full ownership only happens at the end of finance period
• Contract hire – a long term rental agreement where a fixed fee is paid per month and is returned at the end of the contract
• Finance lease – the agreement is with the lease company (who fully own the vehicle) but provide you with access on the provision of a monthly payment fee
• Lease purchase – a deposit is paid followed by set monthly payments for an agreed term, at the end of the term you can decide to purchase the vehicle by paying off the remaining balance or starting a new agreement for a new vehicle

If you have any questions or would like to discuss how you can make all your commercial vehicles ULEZ compliant, please call us on 01993 706403 or e-mail enquiries@ngifinance.co.uk.