LEZ compliance – all is not as it would seem
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THE NEED TO comply with the higher Euro-4 emission standards for London’s LEZ from January 2012 is beginning to gather momentum. Operators are starting to replace vehicles, either with Euro-4 or -5 new and used. At the recent NEC CV Show, exhaust filter kits were also creating a lot of interest. However, I would argue, all is not as it seems.
In CM’s used truck pages, one dealer is advertising Volvo tractors as Euro-3 with no AdBlue, but due to their first registration date they are LEZ compliant for January 2012 and beyond.
It would appear if you have a Euro-3 vehicle first registered between October 2006 and January 2007 (a 56 plate) and you enter the registration number in the LEZ internet compliance checker, it does confirm that it meets the criteria.
This surely brings the integrity of the whole scheme into question, as from January 2012 the minimum requirement is Euro-4.
How can a Euro-3 engine comply simply because of the vehicle’s first date of registration? And if a late-registered Euro-3 engine complies with the criteria, why do others not?
After all, Euro-3 is Euro-3 and Euro-4 is Euro-4. If you have any Euro-3 56-plated vehicles, enter their details into the LEZ compliance checker. You may get a pleasant surprise.
Mike Davies Lorry driver Waterlooville, Hampshire