Bristol’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ): The Complete 2026 Guide

Bristol's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charges older, more polluting vehicles for driving into the city centre. The council brought it in to cut nitrogen dioxide levels and improve air quality, and to nudge more journeys onto public transport. If you're weighing up a trip into Bristol, or you're behind the wheel of an ageing petrol or diesel car, it's worth knowing exactly where the zone sits, what it costs, and which vehicles are exempt before you go. This guide covers the Bristol Clean Air Zone boundary, the daily charge, exemptions, and where KGM's electric cars and hybrid models fit if you're thinking about your next car. Information is current as of October 2026, so always check the council's own vehicle checker before you travel.

Where does the Bristol Clean Air Zone cover?

The zone covers most of central Bristol: from the Cumberland Basin and the Portway in the west, across the city centre, and out towards the M32 corridor and Temple Meads in the east. It takes in Brunel Way, Coronation Road and Hotwell Road, plus the area around Bristol Royal Infirmary, and stretches down into parts of Bedminster. Bristol Airport sits well outside the zone, so a flight home doesn't mean a charge.

Signs mark the boundary as you approach, and Bristol City Council runs an online vehicle checker so you can check whether your vehicle would be charged before you set off.

How much is the Bristol Clean Air Zone daily charge?

Bristol runs a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), not an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) like London's. That distinction matters because the schemes use different thresholds. Non-compliant private cars, vans, taxis and other light goods vehicles under 3.5 tonnes pay a £9 daily charge. Non-compliant buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) pay £100 a day. Motorcycles aren't charged at all.

Compliance runs on national emission standards: petrol cars need to meet the Euro 4 emissions standards, and diesel vehicles need to qualify as Euro 6 diesel vehicles or newer. You pay through GOV.UK's Clean Air Zone payment service, up to six days before you travel, on the day itself, or up to six days after, though there's no refund if you pay in advance and then don't make the trip, so only pay ahead once you're certain you're going. If you don't pay within that window and drive in anyway, you'll get a penalty charge notice (PCN) of £120, cut to £60 if you settle it within 14 days, on top of the original charge.

Check your own vehicle's registration and spec against Bristol City Council's vehicle checker rather than relying on a general rule of thumb, especially if your car's been modified or imported. Some other UK cities run a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) instead, with its own thresholds, so don't assume Bristol's rules travel with you if you're driving elsewhere.

Bristol Clean Air Zone charges and compliance at a glance

Figures last verified October 2026

Both bands are set by national emission standards, not a Bristol-specific rule, so check Bristol City Council's vehicle checker before you travel, as charges and exemptions can change.

Vehicle type	Compliance standard	Daily charge
Private cars, taxis, light goods vehicles (up to 3.5 tonnes)	Petrol Euro 4+, diesel Euro 6+	£9
Buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs)	Petrol Euro 4+, diesel Euro 6+	£100
Motorcycles	No charge required	£0
Non-payment	Not applicable	£120 PCN (£60 if paid within 14 days), plus the daily charge

Who's exempt from the Bristol Clean Air Zone charge?

A handful of vehicle types are exempt everywhere Clean Air Zones apply, including those retrofitted under the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS), plus military vehicles and historic vehicles. Bristol adds a few of its own: some patients and visitors travelling to Bristol Royal Infirmary can apply for an exemption from the daily fee, agricultural vehicles are exempt, and small, community-run minibuses may also qualify.

One exemption worth flagging carefully: the blanket exemption for Blue Badge holders ended on 31^st March 2023, so simply holding a Blue Badge no longer excuses a non-compliant vehicle from the daily charge. Blue Badge holders whose vehicle is registered in the disabled tax class remain exempt under a separate national exemption that applies everywhere Clean Air Zones operate.

If you're upgrading to a compliant vehicle, Bristol City Council's financial support scheme may help. It offers grants, help with loan interest, or both, towards replacing a non-compliant vehicle, with priority for lower-income Bristol residents, Blue Badge holders and their carers, and local businesses. Registering your interest doesn't guarantee funding, and you'll need to apply before replacing your vehicle, as the council doesn't offer retrospective grants. What did end on 31^st July 2023 was the temporary exemption for vehicles awaiting a replacement or retrofit through the scheme, so non-compliant vehicles now pay the daily charge in the meantime. Check the council's financial support page for the latest eligibility details.

Which KGM models are Bristol Clean Air Zone compliant?

Every KGM model in current production, including the nine below, is comfortably ahead of Bristol's Euro 4/Euro 6 compliance thresholds. The Musso EV and Torres EVX have zero exhaust pipe emissions to measure in the first place. The Torres Hybrid and Actyon Hybrid clear Euro 4 as current-range vehicles, and the diesel Rexton clears Euro 6, while the petrol Tivoli clears Euro 4, all simply by being current-production vehicles. The van-plated Rexton Commercial and pickup-focused Musso and Musso Rhino share the same Euro 6 diesel engines as their standard siblings, so they clear the bar too. Move from an older petrol or diesel car to any of them and, under the current rules, you won't pay Bristol's daily charge.

Whichever of the nine you're looking at, check the specific vehicle's registration against Bristol City Council's vehicle checker before assuming compliance, particularly for any used stock.