Changes to the LEZ

From 26 October 2020, Low Emission Zone (LEZ) emissions standards will be tougher. Heavy vehicles including lorries, buses and coaches will need to meet Euro VI (NOx and PM) emissions standards or pay a daily charge to drive within the Greater London area.

However, there will be no new charges under the tougher standards until the end of February 2021. This is to give the freight industry more time to meet the new standards as they face intense demands from the coronavirus pandemic.

Retrofit your vehicle

You may be able to retrofit your vehicle with emissions reduction technology to meet the  LEZ emissions standards.

Vans and diesel particulate filters

Note that installing a filter does not guarantee your vehicle will meet these LEZ standards or the ULEZ standards.

Emissions reduction technology

Emissions reduction technologies include:

• Selective catalytic reduction, which reduces NOx emissions
• Replacement Euro VI engines
• Converting a vehicle to electric power

Retrofit technologies need to be approved by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS). This government scheme, funded by Defra, establishes common standards for all Clean Air Zone cities.

CVRAS has certified emissions reduction technologies for certain buses, coaches, HGVs, and refuse vehicles. Retrofits for other HGV models and for vans over 3.5 tonnes are being developed.

As retrofits need to be calibrated to specific vehicle models, not all vehicles can be covered. We expect more conversions to be available in the future.

Information about the retrofit process and a list of suppliers is on the CVRAS website. You may qualify to apply for a grant to retrofit your vehicle as part of the Scrappage scheme.

See CVRAS website for retrofit accreditation.

Vehicle operators who have a CVRAS-approved retrofit carried out on their vehicle will need to register with us before driving within the LEZ.

Information for manufacturers and fitters 

To offer approved devices and services, manufacturers and fitters must be accredited by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS). They must also use CVRAS documentation to record the retrofit and inform Transport for London when a vehicle has been retrofitted. 

Replace your vehicle

You could upgrade to a newer vehicle that meets the standards or an electric vehicle, Find out more about replacing your vehicle.

Scrappage Scheme

The Mayor of London has launched scrappage schemes to support micro businesses, sole traders and charities replace vehicles that don't meet emissions standards. 

Reorganise your fleet

If you operate a fleet of vehicles, you could reorganise it so that only vehicles meeting the emissions standards are driven within the LEZ.

Pay the daily charge

We would prefer that your vehicle meets the LEZ emissions standards. However, if you're not able to take the measures needed, then you can pay the daily charge to drive within the zone.

Find out how to pay a LEZ charge.