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【Summary】Londoners are deciding whether to pay Mayor Sadiq Khan's Ulez charges or sell their cars. One in five residents plans to sell their car to avoid the charge. To determine if it's worth upgrading to a car that meets emissions requirements, a calculator by The Telegraph helps determine how long it would take to recoup the investment through savings on Ulez fines. Users input their current car model, selling price, the cost of the new car, and how often they enter the Ulez zone each day.

FutureCar Staff Aug 31, 2023 6:29 AM PT

Sadiq Khan's Ulez scheme has recently been expanded to cover the entire area within the boundaries of the M25. This means that cars which do not meet the emissions requirements of the scheme will now be charged £12.50 for each day they drive inside the zone.

A recent study conducted by used car platform Motorway has found that one in five Londoners plans to sell their car in order to avoid paying the Ulez charge. This shows that many drivers are concerned about the financial impact of the scheme and are willing to take action to avoid the penalties.

For those drivers who are considering selling their car and upgrading to a vehicle that will not be subject to emissions penalties, the main question they need to ask themselves is whether they drive enough to make the investment worthwhile. It's important to calculate whether the savings on Ulez fines will eventually offset the cost of buying a new car.

As an example, let's consider a driver who currently uses an old diesel car for the school run through the Ulez every day. Under the Ulez scheme, they would have to pay £62.50 per week, which adds up to an annual cost of £2,000 (assuming a standard 39-week school year). The question then becomes, how long would it take to recoup the investment by saving on Ulez fines after purchasing a newer car for, let's say, £10,000?

To help answer this question, The Telegraph has created a calculator that allows you to input the details of your current car, including the model and the price you wish to sell it for. You can also enter the price of the new car you intend to buy and how often you take your car into the Ulez every day. This calculator will provide you with an estimate of how long it would take to recoup the investment and start saving on Ulez fines.