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ULEZ access for "Historic" vehicles

If you live in the recently expanded ULEZ or intend driving there, clarifying whether your MGV8 is exempt or not, is not straightforward. If you use the TfL checker unfortunately it is not reliable and using it is not recommended. It is better to use the TfL notes, which have a link to a ‘Discounts and Exemptions” page on the TfL website which is accurate.
Discounts and Exemptions

MGV8 for ULEZ Exemption?

Factory built MGBGTV8s
Where an MGBGTV8 has been successfully registered with DVLA as having the Historic road tax class, it's eligible for the ULEZ charge exemption.

MG RV8s
Built from 1992 to 1995 the RV8 model will not become eligible for the Historic road tax class until 2032 at the earliest, so sadly any use of an RV8 in the enlarged ULEZ will be charged the daily ULEZ rate, currently £12.50.
Posted: 230902

Photo credit: :fw
Map credit: TfL

Update alongside
Owners of a classic car with a confirmation from DVLA that their vehicle has been registered in the "Historic" road tax class do need be on their guard that information may not have been passed to or recorded by TfL and that as a consequence a heavy ULEZ fine may be issued. See the chaos at TfL reported in an article in the Sunday Times today. More
Updated: 230903

ULEZ exemption for Historic vehicles Two categories of historic vehicles are exempt from ULEZ: > All vehicles built before 1st January 1973. > Vehicles over 40 years old that have been successfully registered with the DVLA for an Historic vehicle tax class. Where can you find this information? See the "Discounts and Exemptions" webpage on the TfL (Transport for London) website and then click the link to "Historic vehicles". Link Note, if your vehicle meets the above criteria but is registered outside the UK, it is also exempt, but you will need to register it with TfL before travelling in the zone.
See larger copy of this ULEZ map	ULEZ - where and when The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and every day of the year (except Christmas Day). In August 2023 the ULEZ zone was extended to the far wider area shown in the map alongside. The extension has been very controversial, particularly with many of the outer areas of Greater London and beyond. Many people living in areas covered by the larger ULEZ are facing heavy costs with non compliant cars or the cost of replacing them.
The London Mayor Sadiq Khan claims the ULEZ extension is to help clear London's air but the smell of a brazen money raising policy is very heavy and unwelcome! The Mayor needs to pay much more attention to the pollution from heavy traffic congestion caused by his failure to provide funding promptly to maintain key bridges over the Thames, like Hammersmith Bridge. That is far more urgent and necessary - that 133 year old suspension bridge has been closed to motor vehicles for over four and a half years since April 2019 and it is reported by BBC News that it "will not reopen to traffic until 2027"! - a total delay of 7 years! The consequential congestion on roads in the vicinity with cars idling in long queues is a very serious health problem for local people and drivers. Update - article in the Sunday 3rd September 2023 Why compliant cars are still being fined under ULEZ glitch An article in the Sunday Times today highlights a worrying problem that has been revealed with the TfL vehicle data system which is used to check vehicle numberplates and determine whether the vehicle has to be charged the daily ULEZ access fee or if the vehicle is exempt. One driver was fined for breaching emissions rules when he drove his BMW 320i in the central London section of the ULEZ zone - in force since 2019 - to drop his father at a medical appointment. The driver initially decided not to challenge the fine because his car was registered in October 2000, four years before the standard cut-off date cited by TfL in its guidance. However, when a friend told him that his BMW, registered in 1996, was officially compliant, the driver obtained a so-called "certificate of conformity" from BMW that confirmed that his car had NOx emissions within the ULEZ range. He asked TfL to check again. TfL confirmed that his car was therefore exempt from charges but it has not reimbursed his fine!" Problems with the ULEZ enforcement camera system Enforcement cameras for the scheme read number plates, which TfL says are "checked against our database" but has failed to spot older cars that meet its emission standards. The problem is affecting drivers of models from manufacturers including BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes and Toyota. Senior officials at the Department for Transport called in Trevor Wood, chairman of the British Independent Motor Trade Association on Thursday for talks about the scale of the problem. Wood said that it may affect 100,000 petrol cars registered between 1999 and 2005. Wood added: "They (TfL) should put the whole scheme on hold and no fines should be issued until this has been sorted out." ULEZ enforcement system has also struggled to recognise vehicles with personal number plates Edmund King, president of the AA, said members had also found TfL was slow to process changes made to vehicle data by the DVLA. He added: "This means that somebody with a zero emission electric vehicle who has fitted a personal registration plate that has been approved by DVLA could still get a ticket for entering the ULEZ ten days later." Acknowledgement to Sunday Times for the article See a copy of the Sunday Times article on the ULEZ glitch. More