Greater Manchester and the Clean Air Zone - Do businesses and residents have to go electric with their Cars and Vans

Do businesses and residents have to go electric with their Cars and Vans in the Greater Manchester and the Clean Air Zone

One of the underlying agendas about moving to all-electric cars and vans isn’t just about company car tax savings, performance or aesthetics. There are also environmental aspects, including the emerging use of charging zones in towns and cities, which is now focusing the UK on the progression towards alternative fuels i.e. not traditional petrol or diesel engines.

This isn’t something new, although the recent Manchester Zone discussions may suggest that this is a new facet. The use of Clean Air Zone, or CAZ, started to come to fruition nearly 5 years ago, with the Government looking to address the most polluting vehicles congesting busy urban areas.

The whole impetus of the CAZ was to reduce the volume of journeys being undertaken, move drivers out of their vehicles and into public transport (or cycling / walking too) and address the emissions being recorded in busier locations. A CAZ provides the autonomy to the local authority to set the area it wishes to apply the charge for and to determine what level of policies will be implemented.

Each local authority can instil different categories within their zones for example:

•  A - this will apply rules to buses, coaches, taxis and private hire;
•  B - this will include Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV);
• C- this will include Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV); or
• D - this applies to everything including cars. 

The higher the category, the more demanding and punitive the measures are. With a CAZ being run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and every day of the year, non-compliant vehicles under the rules will be subject to a charge. Any driver can input their registration into the  Gov system  to ascertain if their vehicle is compliant for these purposes .

The standards are not all about vehicles moving from combustion to electric. Indeed, the concentration is on removing the more polluting petrol and diesel options by setting more rigid standards. For example, a petrol car or van MUST be Euro 4 and above.

Furthermore, the diesel cars and vans must be Euro 6 standards (registered after September 2016). Zones have already been established in places like Bath, Bradford, Bristol and Sheffield but Greater Manchester is an area which has been on the agenda, and in the news, more recently in 2025.

As per the Greater Manchester website the local authority have taken the decision to move towards an investment-led approach and strategy in order to meet the nitrogen oxide limits, which underpins the CAZ.

This includes the investment into zero-emission buses, taxi fleet funding to move towards greener vehicles and traffic management measures to reduce congestion. These measures have now received Governmental backing and financial support with the local authority finding support for a more measured approach to pollution reduction. In particular, there will be significant investment into aspects such as:

•  £51m for 40 zero-emission buses and 77 Euro 6 buses;
• £21m for administration, delivery and monitoring of the plan;
•  £8m to allow local taxis to access clean vehicles.

Manchester, and its Mayor Andy Burnham, have received some critique for this approach. Initially, the Manchester area was to follow the route which other local authorities, like the ones above, have taken.

In particular, the authority invested into ANPR technology and signage, to make it clear that those driving in non-compliant vehicles would be charged (including fines of up to £60 per day). However, the Mayor fought back on these submissions, talking to BBC radio to address the change in tactics by the local authority.

He submits that the investment so far has not been a waste, with the ANPR camera being a tool used by the police to manage serious crimes. In addition, signage has been repurposed to advertise other facilities in local areas like park and ride. Of course, time will tell as to how useful these measures are, with the levels of emissions to be recorded to ensure they are in the legal limits.

Local residents and businesses will be happy with an investment approach, as opposed to the dictatorial and punitive approach, which is how many view the charging systems in London.

While Manchester customers may take this is a sign to avoid EVs, it is worth noting that these plans are subject to change, in order to address the poor air quality being noted in the regions. None of this will slow up the obligations under the ZEV Mandate, which is a national obligation on car and van manufacturers to ensure that a certain portion of their vehicles do not emit any tailpipe emissions / pollutions.

It may be that many businesses are utilising the EVs to enjoy the considerable tax benefits and breaks which are afforded to them. However, personal and consumer customers are also able to benefit from the value which new and used electric car deals are offering.

Savings on electricity vs fuel, lower servicing and maintenance obligations plus the cheaper monthly rentals are now making the UK think twice about vehicle choices. More affordable propositions, like the Curpa Born shown here, are true examples of what you can drive for some affordable prices.

In terms of the car shown, the Cupra Born Electric Hatchback 169kW e-Boost V3 58kWh 5dr Auto (Pure Electric Vehicle), this is based on the following configuration:

• Solid Paint
•  Dinamica cloth - Granite Grey
•  20" ‘Hurricane’ machined aero wheels
• Mode 3 / Type 2 Charging Cable (Public Charging & home wallbox charger – Fast charging)

But how does the Cupra Born EV perform?

This has a usable battery of 58 kWh which offers 169 kW (228hp), top speeds of 99 mph and 0-62 times of 6.6 seconds. Real-world ranges suggest a combined 180 miles in colder weather with warmer temperatures to allow for 245 miles (on a full charge) - combined 215 mile real world range .

The 11kW AC allows for 0-100% charging times of 6 hour and 15 minutes with the 124kW DC enabling 10-80% in 31 minutes. The hot hatch has no Bidirectional charging. It has a 150 mpg equivalent, 385L cargo volume and offers no towing capacities. There is no heat pump on this EV.

For Manchester customers looking to go electric with great cars like the Born EV, just head to our Cupra Born Section. 

Or just get in touch with our team on 01942 910 001 or by emailing us at [email protected]