Euro compliant engines

[silverweed]

I’m finally starting to look around for another van after 5 years without. Things seem to have changed so much. As we would like to be going back to France again can those that go give me some advice. What do you all do about all these LEZ restrictions. Has anyone been caught out with these great area lock downs I hear can happen? We don’t tend to go into cities, only when driving through. Has it made it very difficult for those with pre euro 6 vans. I’m thinking about 2016 vans but read euro 7 is meant to be implemented end of 2026 so is it going to be a waste of time getting 2016 and may as well just get an oldie as originally intended

 

[trevskoda]

Come to Ireland as we dont have any of that sh one t here.

 

[Fisherman]

I’m finally starting to look around for another van after 5 years without. Things seem to have changed so much. As we would like to be going back to France again can those that go give me some advice. What do you all do about all these LEZ restrictions. Has anyone been caught out with these great area lock downs I hear can happen? We don’t tend to go into cities, only when driving through. Has it made it very difficult for those with pre euro 6 vans. I’m thinking about 2016 vans but read euro 7 is meant to be implemented end of 2026 so is it going to be a waste of time getting 2016 and may as well just get an oldie as originally intended

There are 2016 vans which are Euro 6 compliant, Fiat produced a Euro 6 van without the need for Adblue in 2016. But some 2016 vans are Euro 5. Some earlier Adblue systems had issues, so the Fiat would be a good option. I would look at Euro 6 which allows access to towns and cities. To be on the safe side put the reg into the LEZ checker to see if it’s compliant. What you have to consider are things like access to ferry terminals etc, some now are within LEZ. Good luck, and happy travels.

 

[andyjanet]

Our Ducato 2019 euro6 is pre adblue it has the plastic behind the filler cover with an indentation where the fill point is on the newer vans and I’m pleased we don’t have all that rubbish fitted

 

[TJBi]

No major issues as yet, many LEZs have very broad acceptance of Crit'Air classes, though requirements could be tightened. In many, if you qualify for a Crit'Air sticker you are permitted in the zone. There are a few exceptions, most notably Paris. You can check details at: https://mieuxrespirerenville.gouv.fr/fiches-thematique/se-deplacer/zfe-francaises

 

[molly 2]

Who knows which way it will go manchester have cancelled theirs , paying the fee is OK but the fines not. .euro 7 will include tyre and brake dust apparently

 

[Robmac]

Our Ducato 2019 euro6 is pre adblue it has the plastic behind the filler cover with an indentation where the fill point is on the newer vans and I’m pleased we don’t have all that rubbish fitted

We don't mind having Adblue Andy as it means we pay zero vehicle tax on our Peugot 3008 1.6 HDI diesel (for the time being anyway).

I can't think of any other reason it would be zero rated.

 

[Rumour]

We just tend to avoid the areas with LEZ's. There is so much to see and do, so many towns that are OK at the moment, we just head out into the wilds. The van we have is a 2005 Peugeot 2.2Hdi, so only a CritAir 4, so places that have LEZ's are likely to be no go for us. The only time it causes us a problem is when heading south from Dieppe. We used to go along the A151, but the part around Rouen is now in the zone, so we avoid it. Some say it is OK as ling as you have a sticker, but we still avoid.

 

[TJBi]

We just tend to avoid the areas with LEZ's. There is so much to see and do, so many towns that are OK at the moment, we just head out into the wilds. The van we have is a 2005 Peugeot 2.2Hdi, so only a CritAir 4, so places that have LEZ's are likely to be no go for us. The only time it causes us a problem is when heading south from Dieppe. We used to go along the A151, but the part around Rouen is now in the zone, so we avoid it. Some say it is OK as ling as you have a sticker, but we still avoid.

Some LEZs in France permit all vehicles that qualify for any class of Crit'Air sticker; others are more restrictive.

 

[Moped]

It's not just France but the UK also and other EU countries you have to consider Euro 6 for. Visiting London campsites within the M25 or taking a Portsmouth ferry to the IoW. And Spain seem to have gone bezerk with ULEZ regulation affecting all towns with populations in excess of 50000.

Really it depends on what you can afford relative to the few trips you might make in ULEZ zone areas and the level of fines you might pay annually. Or park outside and use public transport?

 

[Thistle]

@silverweed
Euro 7 has been continuously delayed so unless you can afford to wait and are buying a brand new don’t worry about it.
Euro 6 has had several iterations Euro 6E bring the most recent and hence most future proof
V5 doc and info available to everyone from DVLA online states the Euro standard unless the van’s wasn’t correctly registered which is surprisingly common for vans!

I personally would never buy a second hand van with missing Euro standard , emissions, vehicle type or revenue weight info on the v5 but sadly people often don’t check the v5 or online and then can spend ages trying to get it sorted!

European emission standards - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Fazerloz]

It's not just France but the UK also and other EU countries you have to consider Euro 6 for. Visiting London campsites within the M25 or taking a Portsmouth ferry to the IoW. And Spain seem to have gone bezerk with ULEZ regulation affecting all towns with populations in excess of 50000.

Really it depends on what you can afford relative to the few trips you might make in ULEZ zone areas and the level of fines you might pay annually. Or park outside and use public transport

Put your Reg in the checker mine is not Euro 6 but is exempt for Portsmouth . Yet I have to pay for other areas.

From Wight link

Portsmouth Clean Air Zone​

Portsmouth has introduced a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), similar to many schemes across the country.
Cars, vans and motorcycles going to and from our car ferry port on Gunwharf Road will not be charged and can continue to use our services as usual. The only vehicles to be charged will be older taxis, private hire vehicles, buses, coaches and lorries (HGVs).
Portsmouth City Council has introduced the CAZ as some areas of the city centre have levels of pollutants, like nitrogen dioxide, that are likely to remain above safe legal limits unless action is taken now.
Find out more about the CAZ

 

[Thistle]

Definitely worth checking first!

Any motor caravan plated >3500kg is a PHGV and hence probably treated as HGV in these zones.
I got ripped off £100 for inadvertently driving a few yards in the Portsmouth zone on the way to the esplanade if I had left my Euro V van plated at 3500kg instead of its now PHGV 4230kg it would have been PLG and exempt!

 

[gasgas]

Who knows which way it will go manchester have cancelled theirs , paying the fee is OK but the fines not. .euro 7 will include tyre and brake dust apparently

I am slightly beginning to wonder if it is cheaper to run an old smoky banger (my 1999 Transit is not smoky and it even has EGR) and pay the fines for trespassing on to someone's road that I have paid tax to use, than it is to pay the constant fees for fixing emission control bits and pieces. Suppose it is a £100 fine for driving through Bristol. My experience with emission control systems, and others I read about in MMM is that the average cost of a problem with a compliant van is £1000. Firstly garages just do what the computer tells them to do, which you have to pay for, and it wasn't the problem. Then when they fit the next most expensive item on a 'let's try this' basis and find the real problem they charge you another £500 - £1000 to fix it. You don't get your first payment credited for changing something that wasn't faulty, they keep it.
So I am running my 1999 Transit, and when I dared to venture nearly into Bath on an A road I saw the sign "LEZ NOW" (there was no pre-warning sign) I just stopped all the traffic while I did a 3 point turn and drove round outside the zone, covering three times the distance and distributing three times the pollution that I would have if I had driven straight through.

 

[Thistle]

@gasgas
I think they’ve already anticipated people doing that, I suspect eventually these arguably short term hated and extremely expensive to operate scam zones, plus ved and probably even fuel duty will all be replaced with variable road pricing and the most polluting vehicles will have the highest per mile charge and probably even be priced off the road in certain places

Let’s take a typical M1 2012 ex minibus that some gullible mug was told would make a good camper!

It’s Ved rated as a diesel car and it’s highest band emissions mean ved is currently £700+ a year, drive that thing on ordinary roads let alone anywhere near a zone and I guess charging something our bean counters consider justifiable like £25-50 a mile may well put people off!

 

[Moped]

Definitely worth checking first!

Any motor caravan plated >3500kg is a PHGV and hence probably treated as HGV in these zones.
I got ripped off £100 for inadvertently driving a few yards in the Portsmouth zone on the way to the esplanade if I had left my Euro V van plated at 3500kg instead of its now PHGV 4230kg it would have been PLG and exempt!

I have checked with the reg of 2 >3500kg pre 2014 motorhomes advertised on Auto trader and the London LEZ checker states that no charge is payable. It does appear LEZ only applies to motorhomes <3500kg.

Don't know about other UK areas of course or France.

And you benefit from cheaper DVLA road tax.

You do have the C1 medical hassle though at the age of 70 but if you are a spring chicken no problem.