Following the UK Court of Appeal judgment on Friday 25th October, we took the decision to pause new business from Monday 28th October while we worked to mitigate the legal implications to protect our dealers, brokers and customers.

We have now made the necessary adjustments to ensure the business can operate within the legal requirements set out in the judgment and are now open for new business in MotoNovo.

We do understand the pause to new business created challenges for you, and we thank you for your patience and support while we have been navigating the impact of the judgment. Dealer partners are encouraged to reach out to their account manager with any questions they may have during this time. Find out more here. 

Important update: We're back open for business

Interested in becoming a MotoNovo dealer? Get in touch today.

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The position regarding ‘emission zones’ designed to improve air quality in the UK can be confusing, which isn't helped by the different acronyms used.

The following guide is written at a high level; please use the links available to verify the position. Where reference is made to fees or fines in Scotland fines for pre-Euro 4 petrol and pre-Euro 6 diesels, these relate to engine standards created to reduce vehicle pollution.

Petrol cars that meet the ULEZ standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA after 2005 (Euro 4), although cars that meet the standards have been available since 2001.

Diesel cars that meet the standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA after September 2015 (Euro 6).

It's important to note that exclusions in emission zones exist for Blue Badge holders and classic cars, for example, but there is no universal standard. Always check the zone individually using the links provided for this information.



There are 4 types of clean air zones, Class A to D.

A - Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles.

B - Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles.

C - Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses.

D - Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses, cars, the local authority has the option to include motorcycles.

There are eight CAZs currently (albeit Manchester is under review):

Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead) has a Class C clean air zone.

To check if you need to pay in a CAZ, the Government has a useful website to help people to:

Find out if they need to pay for their vehicle

Bath (CAZ) – Class C chargeable CAZ for the most polluting heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), light goods vehicles (LGVs), vans, buses, coaches and taxis that drive in the Clean Air Zone. Private cars and motorbikes will not be charged.

Birmingham (CAZ)  - Class D CAZ - pre-Euro 4 petrol and pre-Euro 6 diesel cars are charged £8 to drive in the zone, which covers an area of the city centre within the A4540 Middleway; non-compliant buses and lorries pay £50.

Bradford (CAZ) – Class C chargeable CAZ for the most polluting heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), light goods vehicles (LGVs), vans, buses, coaches and taxis that drive in the Clean Air Zone. Private cars and motorbikes will not be charged.

Bristol (CAZ) - Class D CAZ - pre-Euro 4 petrol pre-Euro 6 diesels have to pay £9 to enter the zone. Non-compliant taxis and light vans face the same charge, while HGVs and buses pay £100.

Greater Manchester (CAZ) – The CAZ is under review and the linked website notes; ‘Our new investment-led plan does not include a charging-Clean Air Zone’.

Portsmouth (CAZ) – fees only apply to non-compliant taxis, private hire vehicles, HGVs, buses and coaches – it can in include larger motor homes.

Sheffield (CAZ) - Class C chargeable CAZ for the most polluting heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), light goods vehicles (LGVs), vans, buses, coaches and taxis that drive in the Clean Air Zone. Private cars and motorbikes will not be charged.

Tyneside (Newcastle & Gateshead (CAZ) - Class C chargeable CAZ for the most polluting heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), light goods vehicles (LGVs), vans, buses, coaches and taxis that drive in the Clean Air Zone.



Oxford (ZEZ) – covering nine streets in the city centre, Oxford’s ZEZ levies charges on all private cars, including hybrids but excluding Battery Electric Vehicles. Fees vary subject to pollution standards.



LEZs exist in Scotland, Glasgow’s LEZ is live, while enforcement in Dundee will begin on 30 May 2024. Enforcement in Aberdeen and Edinburgh will begin on 1 June 2024.

As opposed to the daily fees charged for non-complaint vehicles, seen in some other ‘clean air zones,’  Scotland’s LEZs charge a £60 daily fine, which doubles for every subsequent transgression up to a maximum of £480 a day. As a general rule, diesel cars registered before September 2015 and petrol vehicles registered before 2006 are not allowed in the LEZ. Motorbikes and mopeds are not included in the current LEZ schemes, and no restrictions apply



London’s ULEZ was expanded on 29th August 2023 across all London boroughs.  pre-Euro 4 petrol pre-Euro 6 diesels have to pay a daily fee of £12.50 to enter the zone.

Chris Rowthorn, Director of Motor Sales Operations

Understanding about the different emission zones can be confusing. Here, we break down the difference between CAZ, ZEZ, LEZ and ULEZ.

The current position of emission zones in the UK

At MotoNovo, we are delighted to be a sponsor at the forthcoming SMTA Females in Focus annual event, to be held in Glasgow on September 22nd. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a significant area of focus for MotoNovo.

Across the automotive industry, we need more talented people. Something that has become evident within MotoNovo as our DE&I programme has gained momentum is that sometimes, the talent sought is right there in front of you.

To put these potential befits in context, two of my colleagues were recognised last September at the Women in Credit Awards. National Account Manager Shamaila Madeley, who has worked in the automotive finance sector for over twenty years, was recognised as Colleague of the Year. While Cathy Addicott, 75, one of our Customer Relationship Advisors won the Lifetime Achievement Award. Hardly newcomers to the industry, both have flourished in an environment without barriers to success.

As a business, our commitment to embracing DE&I has helped us to retain and recruit talented people who welcome the culture we have developed; it has also enabled us to release untapped skills and energy from people who previously had not felt able to stretch themselves, or perhaps more accurately we had not encouraged effectively. 



Active members of The Automotive 30% Club, whose '30 by 30' strategy aims to see at least 30% of key leadership positions in the automotive sector held by talented women by 2030, last year, we launched GROW (Generating Real Opportunities for Women). It is an initiative designed to support our motor retailer and broker partners and increase female representation across motor retailing levels.  

The network's programme of events has seen it increase understanding in areas such as unconscious bias, challenging, supporting and encouraging meaningful discussions about gender issues in motor retailing. Above all, it is about encouraging everyone to appreciate the value of providing career opportunities for women at all levels as part of a broader move to embrace diversity and inclusion.

With vacancies at a 20-year high, analysis by the IMI has highlighted the importance of DE&I in addressing the automotive industry skills shortage. They pointed out that a more diverse workforce is critical to turning the tide, and a lack of role models is a fundamental barrier to achieving that goal.

Focusing on gender disparity, the IMI's work highlighted a clear issue. Just 19% of women were in senior roles compared to 39% in the non-automotive workforce. It is this type of gap that GROW aims to address, inspiring more people to choose the automotive sector as a career choice.


Apart from addressing the talent shortage in the automotive sector, evidence points to the impact it can have on business performance. Inclusive businesses with a better gender balance are more successful, and that goes for small family-owned and large organisations.

At MotoNovo, our DE&I journey is well underway, and we encourage others to follow and are happy to share our experiences to date.


Debbie McKay, Commercial Director of Motor Sales

As proud sponsors of the SMTA's Female in Focus annual event, Commercial Director of Motor Sales, Debbie McKay is exploring the importance of DE&I across the automotive industry. 

The importance of diversity, equity and inclusion across motor retailing

The UK's new car market grew by 28.3% in July, marking a full year of consistent growth. It is good news for the used car market.

July saw 143,921 new vehicles registered, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Within this, it was fleet sales, up over 60 per cent and business buyers, up over 28 per cent, that drove the increase. The private buyer market was static. For consumers, it seems the cost of living crisis could be biting.

The growth in new car sales over the last year will start to feed through into the used car market, and it is this new stock that the market is keen to gain access to because the new-3 sector has been sorely short of inventory over recent years.

The stock they will discover will have a nod to sustainability, with battery electric vehicles surging by 87.9% in July, and it does seem, based on reports by Cox Automotive and Autotrader, that after steady falls in used EV values, prices seem to be finding their level. It is supported by data that suggests the decline in diesel demand is continuing.

According to Indicata's data for June, used diesel sales only accounted for 36.54% of the June online B2C used vehicle market compared to 48.05% for petrol. Removing the diesel-dominated commercial vehicle sales saw diesel share of used car sales drop to 33.13% whilst petrol increased to 50.75%.

In the newer, new – 4 market, the growing appeal for EVs becomes clearer. Used diesel sales accounted for just 18.28% of the market, compared to 21.63% for hybrid and 53.87% for petrol, leaving BEVs to take the remaining 6.21%.

Looking at the sale of used cars under two years old, BEVs broke the double-digit barrier with 10.6% of sales, a new record. It also meant that they outsold diesel which only managed to secure a 9.22% share of sales. Interestingly used petrol sales are starting to be pursued by hybrids, with petrol taking 46.88% of sales whilst hybrid took 33.3%.

With more public chargers coming on stream, July saw a record high of 3,056 new standard public chargers installed; it does seem that in the used sector, EVs are gaining traction. Increased supply in the months ahead could be very welcome.



Debbie Mckay, Commercial Director of Motor Sales


With the UK's new car market growing by 28.3% in July, see why Commercial Director of Motor Sales, Debbie McKay, thinks this is good news for the used car market.

News - August 2023

The current position of emission zones in the UK

The importance of diversity, equity and inclusion across motor retailing

Why new car sales growth is good news for the used market

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