How many cars registered in Uxbridge are ULEZ compliant ahead of zone expansion this month?

When Labour narrowly lost out on the by-election result for Uxbridge to the Conservatives last month, leader Sir Kier Starmer blamed Sadiq Khan and his controversial expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

He said it was clear ULEZ was the reason for their shock loss in Boris Johnson’s former seat and urged the London Mayor to ‘reflect’ on his plans to expand the zone in August.

However, exclusive data shared with This is Money suggests more than three quarters of cars registered in the West London town are compliant with ULEZ and would see drivers avoid the £12.50-a-day charge. 

How many cars in Uxbridge won’t be charged ULEZ? Following Labour’s loss in the recent by-electric, which Kier Starmer blamed on Sadiq Khan’s zone expansion, we reveal how many motors in the West London town are compliant

Speaking shortly after confirmation of the by-election result in Uxbridge, Starmer said: ‘We know that [was the reason for defeat]. We heard that on the doors. And we’ve all got to reflect on that – including the mayor.’ 

Asked what he meant by saying Mr Khan needed to ‘reflect’ on the zone’s expansion, Sir Keir said: ‘We’ve got to look at the result. The mayor needs to reflect. And it’s too early to say what should happen next.’

But new data shows that less than one in four motorists in Uxbridge will be hit by the zone expansion on 29 August. 

In fact, the research from automotive data experts at cap hpi shows motorists are already making greener choices in the West London town well before talk of an expansion to cover all 32 boroughs – including the borough of Hillingdon – was announced.

Cap hpi said it has examined car parc data for the town using Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and ‘additional data sources from across the industry’ to identify just how many vehicles are going to be stung by ULEZ later this month.

It found that the number of non-compliant vehicles dropped from 33 per cent in 2020 to 23.3 per cent in 2023. 

More than three quarters (76.7%) of all cars registered in Uxbridge are already ULEZ compliant, according to data sourced by cap hpi

In fact, the town has seen a recent surge in transition to ‘electrified’ vehicles. 

The data also shows that the number of pure electric cars has increased from 2,600 to 9,800 over the same period.

Hybrid vehicles also increased from 10,700 in 2020 to 21,600 in 2023. 

The stats show clear evidence that many drivers in the town have ditched their diesel vehicles, with overall numbers dropping from 92,600 in 2020 to 79,400 this year.

That means diesels represent 31.5 per cent of all motors registered in Uxbridge today, compared to 38 per cent three years earlier. 

The number of newer cars has increased, too.

Just 7,700 vehicles registered in the town were two-to-four years old in 2020, but that number has grown to 18,700 this year. All of these cars are likely to be ULEZ compliant.

The data also shows that the number of pure electric cars registered in Uxbridge has increased from 2,600 in 2020 to 9,800 in 2023 ahead of the ULEZ expansion later this month

Mark Turnbull, global head of consulting at cap hpi, said: ‘It’s essential that motorists, along with local and national government, have the accurate information they need to make decisions about clean air zones. 

‘Overall it’s clear that passenger vehicles have become greener in Uxbridge over the last three years, and the data suggests this is likely to continue.’

While drivers in Uxbridge appear to have been gradually switching to ‘greener’ cars, the data shows that the move to lower-emission vans has been markedly slower. 

In 2020, 63.2 per cent of vans (around 15,100) were non-compliant; today, the number has fallen to 44.6 percent non-compliant (11,000) commercial vehicles. 

The slower shift is blamed on there being ‘fewer choices of fully electric vans’ compared to battery-only cars.

The report comes just days after Sadiq Khan confirmed he is to extend to eligibility for the ULEZ Scrappage Scheme, which has been introduced to encourage drivers to ditch their non-compliant cars with the offer of £2,000 to go towards the cost of a replacement vehicle that meets the ULEZ standards.

The mayor initially drew £110million from City Hall reserves for the scheme, which had originally only been offered to those on benefits. 

But to widen the pool to allow all Londoners with non-compliant cars to apply for the grant, he is set to spend another £50million.

The Mayor of London said: ‘I’m not prepared to step back, delay or water down green policies like ULEZ, which will not only save lives and protect children’s lungs by cleaning up polluted air but help us to fight the climate crisis.

‘I have continued to listen to the concerns of Londoners over recent months, and today [Friday 4 August] I can announce a huge expansion to the scrappage scheme that means that all Londoners with non ULEZ-compliant cars will now be able to get financial support to switch to greener, less polluting vehicles.

‘As we continue to build a greener and healthier London for everyone, I’m determined that no Londoner and no London business is left behind. 

‘We need to take people with us on the path to a sustainable future. We are ensuring that help is now available for everyone – and I urge Londoners to come and get it.’

Motors you can scrap to receive the grant include, motorcycles, motorised tricycles and quadricycles, car, vans and wheelchair accessible motors. They must also not be ULEZ compliant.

In order to receive the grant, your vehicle must have been registered with the DVLA since 30 January 2022 or prior.

The vehicle must also be registered in your name or to another individual who resides in your place of residence.

MOT, insurance and valid road tax are tick boxes that must be fulfilled if Londoners want to receive the four-figure grant.

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk