Login
My Garage
New hero

Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone to launch in Oxford

By Stephen Turvil | February 15, 2022

Share

Why not leave a comment?

See all | Add a comment

Oxford Zero Emission Zone explained including the daily charges, area of operation, and launch date.

Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone will launch in Oxford on February 28th 2022 as a pilot scheme tasked with reducing the pollution that causes health issues. As the name suggests, only drivers in clean, zero emission, fully electric vehicles will be able to enter for free. Motorists in petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicles will be charged according to how much pollution they emit.

Oxford Zero Emission Zone area

The Zero Emission Zone will cover a small area during its pilot phase, then expand. It will initially span: New Road between Bonn Square and the junction with Castle Street, Bonn Square, Queen Street, Cornmarket Street, New Inn Hall Street, Shoe Lane, Market Street from Cornmarket junction east for 40 metres, Ship Street, and St Michael’s Street. The zone will be marked by roadside signs.

An automatic number plate recognition camera system will record which vehicles enter the zone. It will operate from 7am to 7pm seven days a week. Drivers will then pay the charges via the Oxfordshire County Council website. The charges will be based on vehicle type, emissions, and increase once the pilot phase is over. 

Oxford Zero Emission Zone costs

Vehicle CO2 emissions Daily charge from Febuary 28th 2022 Daily charge from August 2025
Zone emission 0 g/km £0 £0
Ultra-low emission Vehicles that emit less than 75 g/km of CO2. two and three wheeled vehicles that emit more than 0 g/km. heavy goods vehicles that meet the National Ultra-low emission truck standard, once it is defined £2 £4
Low emission Petrol vehciles that have four or more wheels and meet the euro four emission standard. Diesel vehicles that have four or more wheels and meet the euro six emission standard £4 £8
Others  Vehciles that do not meet any of the above standard £10 £20

Drivers will only pay a charge once per day irrespective of how many times they enter, leave, and re-enter the zone. There will be no charge for any vehicles parked inside the zone that do not move. 

Councillor champions new zone

Oxfordshire County Council’s Member for Travel and Development Strategy, Duncan Enright, said: 'We are taking action to improve air quality in the city and make it cleaner and safer. We will learn from the pilot and, in the coming months, consult with local communities as we develop plans to expand the zone across the city centre. We hope that residents, businesses, and visitors will join us in our journey towards our carbon neutral future’, he concluded.

Related Articles

Polestar 7 electric SUV coming in 2028 – Here’s what you need to know
Polestar confirms its new electric SUV, the Polestar 7, for 2028. It’s set to rival the Tesla Model Y and be built in Europe for the first...
Jul 04, 2025
Inside the parking fine scandal – Faulty machines, £100 fines, and no way to fight back
Private parking firms issued 14.4M fines last year. Here’s how the DVLA is making millions selling driver data.
Jul 04, 2025
Tesla’s sales slump continues – Is a budget model the answer?
Tesla's sales are falling for the second year in a row. Could a cheaper EV be the comeback they need?
Jul 04, 2025
North Yorkshire’s first permanent speed camera knocked down just hours before going live
North Yorkshire Police have launched an investigation and confirmed they believe the damage was intentional
Jul 02, 2025