Surprise! London’s tax on polluting vehicles made everyone much healthier
The city of London has released a report showing drastic drops in air pollution since it expanded its Ultra Low Emission Zone, an area within the city where polluting vehicles must pay a congestion charge to visit.
The London Ultra Low Emissions Zone is an area within London where vehicles that do not meet modern emissions standards must pay an additional charge to drive. The charge is £12.50 (~$16) per day, and the restriction is enforced 24 hours a day.
It was first established under current London mayor Sadiq Khan in 2019, though had previously been announced in 2015 by Boris Johnson during his stint as London mayor.
While the area covered by the zone only encompassed Central London in 2019, Khan went on to expand it in 2021 and 2023, and it now covers all of Greater London, where around 9 million people live.
Each of these expansions met with resistance and the ULEZ became a flashpoint during UK elections, including specifically the London mayoral election. Previous UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took a pro-pollution stance in opposing the zone, despite it originally being proposed by his own party. In the end, despite the criticism, more Londoners supported the plan than opposed it, and Khan weathered the storm and was re-elected.
This zone is separate from London’s congestion charge zone, which covers Central London and applies to all vehicles that enter. ULEZ is intended to reduce pollution, while the congestion charge is intended to reduce traffic (though also has an effect of reducing pollution).
The ULEZ restrictions are actually not all that strict, especially from the perspective of us here at an electric vehicle publication – most diesel and petrol (gasoline)-powered cars made within the last 10 and 20 years respectively qualify, despite that they still create significant tailpipe pollution.
Also, there are exemptions available for delivery vehicles, buses and so on.
Nevertheless, despite these exemptions, a recent report released by the city of London shows how well the ULEZ has worked at lowering pollution in London and making everyone healthier.
Report finds massive drop in pollution after ULEZ implementation
The report points out that two of the most dangerous aspects of vehicle emissions – nitrogen oxides, which are responsible for smog formation, and PM2.5, which are tiny particles that irritate the lungs – have dropped by almost a third compared to if ULEZ hadn’t been implemented, in only the few years that the policy has been in place.
Specifically, NO2 is 27% lower and PM2.5 is 31% lower in outer London. Nitrogen oxides (which includes both NO and NO2) as a whole are down 14%.
Some areas have seen even more significant declines, like Central London, the most densely populated area. It has seen a drop in NO2 levels of 54%.
All in all, 99% of air quality monitors around London have showed a reduction in pollution, so the new rules have benefitted everyone.
This is important because prior to the report’s period, some 4,000 people died in London each year due to toxic air pollution. If the most toxic parts of air pollution have reduced by almost a third, that should mean over a thousand lives saved per year as a result of these policies – and the associated misery and health costs that come along with.
And those benefits have been seen most by the communities that need it. In “deprived communities,” which tend to see the most pollution in the first place, there’s been an 80% reduction in people exposed to illegal levels of pollution.
The policy has also led to an associated reduction in carbon emissions, as one might expect. In five years, total carbon reduction has equalled the amount of carbon put out by roughly 3 million individual air trips between London and New York.
EVs are quite popular in the UK, with almost 3 out of every 10 cars sold being electric in 2024. That number continues to rise significantly, partially as a result of these policies. But also, high adoption is what makes policies like this possible – if EVs are already available and popular, it’s much easier for individuals to comply.
All in all, between June 2023 and September 2024, London saw 58% fewer non-compliant vehicles on the road, showing a significant shift in transportation patterns in just one year. This was helped by a £200m ($258m) scrappage scheme which helped pay to get 15,232 old vehicles off the road.
Electrek’s Take
We’ve seen similar moves like this from other cities and countries, and each time, they seem to work quite well.
Congestion pricing, which again is not quite the same as ULEZ, has been popular in a number of countries and cities, and has definitely resulted in lower pollution, less traffic, and easier trips – and it works quickly, too.
And, despite what those who have fallen victim to oil propaganda like to say (feel free to check the comments on our articles or social media sometimes, sigh), sure enough, electric vehicles are helping to clean the air a lot.
We’ve seen real-world results that areas with higher EV adoption see lower pollution, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, except that, oil, one of the richest industries in the world with a lot of experience lying to you, has been trying to tell you otherwise.
And when temporary measures are taken by cities to transform their mobility systems, everyone seems to love it. When Paris kicked cars out and increased walkability and transport availability during the Olympics, the transformation got rave reviews. (We’ll see if Los Angeles can do the same in 2028).
It’s also unsurprising that when you disincentivize bad things, they go away. The world currently affords fossil fuels a subsidy of $7 trillion per year, and correcting for that subsidy by making them pay some of their fair share makes them less attractive to people. Maybe we should do more of that.
So it’s unsurprising to see London’s ULEZ working well, but it’s nice to have confirmation, particularly given the controversy around it at the time.
We’d like to see similar schemes elsewhere – like New York City, which recently implemented congestion pricing for the famously traffic-choked city (“no one in New York drives, there’s too much traffic“). Though, just like every other good idea, former New York resident and convicted felon Donald Trump has tried to block NYC’s congestion pricing plan, in his apparent quest to make literally everything worse.
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Mercedes-Benz is gearing up to unveil the electric version of its best-selling SUV, the GLC, later this year. With its official debut just around the corner, Mercedes revealed a few new details, offering an exclusive first look at the new EV.
Mercedes offers an exclusive look at the new electric GLC
Although we got a sneak peek of the electric SUV in March during winter testing in Northern Sweden, Mercedes is giving us a better idea of what to expect.
“We’re not just introducing a new model – we’re electrifying our top seller,” Mercedes-Benz Group CEO, Ola Källenius, said on Thursday.
Mercedes promises the electric GLC “sets new standards” with a sleek new design, advanced tech, and its new MB.OS operating system.
The new GLC EV is an upgrade over the current model, offering significantly more space and improved ride quality. Since the wheelbase is 3.1″ longer than the current gas-powered SUV, the electric version has more legroom and headroom for front and rear passengers.
With all the seats folded, the electric SUV offers 61.4 cubic feet of space. The gas-powered model features up to 56.3 cubic feet of cargo space. Plus, you get an extra 4.5 cu ft of space in the trunk (front trunk).
Källenius said that with Mercedes’ new 800V electric architecture and latest batteries, the electric GLC can regain around 260 km (161 miles) WLTP range in just ten minutes. He added that DC fast charging at over 320 kW is possible.
The GLC 400 4MATIC with EQ Technology will arrive with impressive towing capability of up to 5,291 lbs. In comparison, the Tesla Model Y can only tow up to 3,500 lbs.
Added features, such as ESP trailer stabilization and trailer maneuvering assistant, make it even easier to tow with optimized stability and control.
Källenius also teased the new electric GLC design, calling it the start of a “new era” and “a new face of the brand as the first in a family of upcoming vehicles.”
The inside is just as impressive, providing a holistic experience. A “majestically floating next generation MBUX Hyperscreen” is optional, providing a spatial experience powered by the new MB.OS supercomputer.
Mercedes will unveil the new electric GLC at the 2025 International Motor Show in Munich on September 7, 2025.
Although official range figures will be revealed at the event, according to Car and Driver, which tested a prototype model, Mercedes said it expects the new GLC to provide a WLTP range of just over 400 miles, or slightly more than 300 miles on the EPA scale, from a 94.5 kWh battery.
Prices will also be announced in due time, but given that the current GLC 350e 4MATIC PHEV starts at $59,900 in the US, you can expect the electric model to be priced slightly higher, at around $65,000.
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Tesla (TSLA) announced its 2025 annual shareholders meeting at the very last minute, and it pushed it all the way to November, the latest it has ever held the meeting.
Tesla generally holds its annual meeting in the summer and announces it way ahead of time.
Today, the automaker announced that the meeting will be held on November 6:
The board of directors (the “Board”) of Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”) has designated November 6, 2025 as the date of Tesla’s 2025 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2025 Annual Meeting”).
This is highly unusual for Tesla. Here are the dates of Tesla’s last 5 annual meetings:
- 2020: September 22, 2020
- 2021: October 7, 2021
- 2022: August 4, 2022
- 2023: May 16, 2023
- 2024: June 13, 2024
At those meetings, shareholders vote on several matters, including the reelection of directors and shareholders’ proposals.
Tesla has not released any yet, but they are expected to be in the upcoming proxy statement, which Tesla should release in the coming weeks.
Why does Tesla need more time?
Electrek’s Take
I think Tesla is working on some proposals that are going to take time to put together and then to sell to shareholders – hence why the meeting is set for November.
There are two suspects: a new CEO compensation package for Musk or a merger/acquisition of xAI.
It could also be both, but I think that would be harder to swallow for some shareholders as both initiatives have a clear aim of giving Musk a bigger stake in Tesla.
I think sane investors should not want that, but Tesla shareholders don’t fit in that category. Much of Tesla’s value is attached to Musk’s lies and ridiculous predictions. The value will have to come down to reality at some point, but they are a bunch of gamblers who are enjoying the ride in the meantime.
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A three-row electric SUV for less than $30,000? Sign me up. NIO (NYSE: NIO) opened pre-orders for the new Onvo L90 on Thursday, starting from 193,900 yuan, or about $27,000.
NIO kicks off Onvo L90 pre-orders in China
NIO claims the Onvo L90 is the lightest full-size three-row SUV in its class, with a curb weight just under 5,000 lbs (2,250 kg). In comparison, the Lucid Gravity has a curb weight of 5,966 lbs (2,712 kg).
The new flagship model is designed as a family-friendly SUV, offering ample interior space and advanced technology.
At 5,145 mm long, 1,998 mm wide, and 1,766 mm tall, the Onvo L90 is slightly bigger than the Lucid Gravity. In China, it will go head-to-head with higher-end electric SUVs like Li Auto’s L9.
However, the L9 is an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and starts at around 409,800 yuan ($57,000), more than double the price of the Onvo L90.
The low price of 193,900 yuan ($27,000) applies only to those who rent the battery. Nio’s Battery as a Service (BaaS) costs 899 yuan ($125) a month. With the battery included, the Onvo L90 still starts at just 279,900 yuan ($39,000).
Nio’s new electric SUV is offered in six and seven-seat configurations. The interior features a massive 17.2″ floating infotainment screen at the center.
Other interior highlights include a three-zone climate control system, massage, heating, and ventilation for every seat, as well as an additional entertainment screen for rear passengers. And like many new vehicles in China nowadays, it even comes with a built-in refrigerator.
Powered by an 85 kWh battery, the Onvo L90 offers a CLTC range of 605 km (367 miles). It’s also based on NIO’s next-gen 900V platform, unlocking class-leading energy consumption of just 14.5 kWh per 100 km.
Buyers can choose from single and all-wheel-drive powertrains. The AWD version boasts up to 590 hp (440 kW), good for a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint in just 4.7 seconds.
NIO is offering an incentive for early pre-order holders. Those who place an order with a 2,000 yuan deposit will receive a 5,000 yuan credit off the vehicle and an extra 5,000 yuan for optional features and more. Nio plans to begin delivering Onvo L90 to customers, starting on August 1.
The L90 is the second Onvo-branded EV to arrive in China, following the smaller L60, launched last September.
Source: CarNewsChina, NIO Onvo
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