Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ): The Complete 2026 Guide

Oxford's Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) was the UK's first, and it works differently to the schemes drivers already know. Where London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) lets petrol and diesel cars that meet its Euro emissions standards in for free, Oxford's ZEZ only waives the charge for vehicles with zero exhaust emissions. It's also a different mechanism to the Clean Air Zones (CAZ) used in cities like Birmingham and Bristol. Only fully electric and other zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) avoid the daily charge here. Petrol and diesel cars all pay, though a car's Euro standard affects how much.

This guide covers the ZEZ pilot's boundary, what it costs, who gets a discount or exemption, and which KGM models can currently drive in without paying the charge.

Where is Oxford's Zero Emission Zone?

The ZEZ pilot area covers a small cluster of streets in Oxford city centre: Bonn Square, Queen Street, Cornmarket Street, New Inn Hall Street, Shoe Lane, Ship Street, St Michael's Street, and the short stretch of Market Street running east from the Cornmarket junction. New Road is included too, running from Bonn Square up to its junction with Castle Street.

It's a tight boundary rather than a citywide zone, so plenty of Oxford city centre traffic sits outside it. That could change: Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council are developing proposals for a wider Oxford zero-emission zone, with a public consultation still to be scheduled. Nothing is confirmed, so check the council's map before assuming a route is covered.

When does the ZEZ charge apply, and how much is it?

The ZEZ charge runs every day, including weekends, from 7 am to 7 pm; outside those hours, you can drive through free. Unlike a congestion charge, it's based on exhaust emissions rather than traffic volume.

Three paid bands apply, based on a vehicle's CO2 emissions and Euro emissions standard.

Ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV), which emit less than 75g/km of CO2, pay the cheapest rate.

Low emission vehicles (LEV), meaning petrol vehicles that meet Euro 4 or diesels that meet Euro 6, pay a middle rate, and all other vehicles pay the highest rate.

As of our last check in October 2026, those rates sit at £2, £4 and £10 a day. A doubling of all three rates, to £4, £8 and £20, had been due to start on 1^st August 2025, but Oxfordshire County Council cancelled it that July, so the original lower charges have continued. Charges can be reviewed, so it's worth checking the council's charges page before you travel. Under the current rules, fully electric and other zero-emission vehicles pay nothing, whichever streets you use inside the zone.

One payment covers unlimited trips into the zone that day, and you can pay up to six days before you travel, on the day itself, or up to six days after, through Oxfordshire County Council's own online payment system rather than GOV.UK's Clean Air Zone service used elsewhere. There's no refund for an advance payment against a trip that doesn't happen, so it's only worth paying ahead once your plans are firm. Miss the window entirely and a penalty charge notice (PCN) can follow.

Oxford ZEZ charges at a glance

The scheme exists to cut vehicle-sourced air quality problems and carbon emissions in the city centre. The table below shows what different vehicles pay to enter.

Vehicle type	Daily ZEZ charge	Notes
Fully electric/other zero-emission vehicles	£0	No charge and no application needed
Ultra low emission vehicles (ULEV): under 75g/kmCO2	£2	Planned rise to £4 in 2025 was cancelled
Low emission vehicles (LEV): Euro 4 petrol or Euro 6 diesel	£4	Planned rise to £8 in 2025 was cancelled
All other vehicles, including older petrol and diesel models	£10	Planned rise to £20 in 2025 was cancelled
Registered local buses, Oxford-licensed hackney carriages, emergency and special vehicles	£0	Exempt by vehicle category; normally recognised automatically

Last verified October 2026.

Check your own vehicle's registration and spec before you travel; older or modified vehicles don't always fall where you'd expect.

Who gets a discount or exemption from the ZEZ charge?

Discounts are available for Blue Badge holders, disabled tax class vehicles, residents and businesses based within the zone, health and care workers, community transport vehicles, selected low emission hybrid private hire vehicles and hackney carriages, and students in financial hardship moving in or out of the zone.

A handful of vehicle types are exempt outright: hackney carriages licensed by Oxford City Council, registered local buses, emergency service and military vehicles, historic vehicles, hearses, certain recovery vehicles, and agricultural and special vehicles.

Zero emission vehicles don't need to apply for anything, as the £0 rate applies automatically. Discounts are different: you'll need to apply at least 10 working days before you plan to drive into the zone. Exempt vehicles should normally be recognised by the council's enforcement cameras, but you can register yours with the ZEZ team as an extra safeguard against being charged in error. The council's discounts and exemptions page has the full eligibility criteria, and their check your vehicle tool will tell you where your car currently stands.

Which KGM models are exempt from the Oxford ZEZ charge?

Two KGM models currently qualify for the £0 rate, since both are ZEVs with zero exhaust pipe emissions. With no exhaust emissions at all, there’s no Euro standard to check and nothing to apply for. The Musso EV and the Torres EVX both keep the towing, payload and practicality KGM buyers expect, just with EV running costs instead of a tailpipe.

The Actyon Hybrid, Torres Hybrid, Musso, Rexton and Tivoli are current-production KGM models, but none are zero emission, so none qualify for the £0 rate. The same goes for the van-plated Rexton Commercial and the pickup-based Musso Rhino: both share their donor model’s diesel engine, so both pay a daily charge too. Meeting a Euro standard won’t get you in free the way it can in a Clean Air Zone or the London ULEZ, but it does decide your band: a petrol vehicle meeting Euro 4 or a diesel meeting Euro 6 pays the £4 LEV rate rather than the £10 top rate. Check the council’s discounts and exemptions page for any discount you might qualify for, and use their check your vehicle tool to confirm which band you fall into.