This is a topic that seems to be becoming more prevalent, stories of people having to sell cars they've owned for 20 years because of new local criteria.
The Puma seems to be caught in an odd position when it comes to ULEZ, this is what I've made of it so far..
Some of the earliest have no certificate of conformity NOx readings - aren't compliant
Some of the middle Pumas have been registered compliant (certificate of conformity shows 0.033) - EEC96?
The later Puma with two lambdas have a reading of 0.083 (requirement is 0.08) - EEC7?
I've read that it is technically possible to become ULEZ compliant but certainly it does not sound cost effective.
ULEZ - Can I make my car ULEZ compliant
How do I make my car ULEZ compliant?
If your car is not compliant with the Ultra-Low Emission Zone standards, you will need to take action to make it compliant.
The first step is to find out if your car is compliant – click on the link above and enter your vehicle registration number.
If your car is not ULEZ compliant and you don’t fancy forking out on the charges every day, then you could consider some ways to make it compliant.
You can look at retrofitting a non-compliant van or car to meet the requirements of the zone by either:
Upgrading the exhaust system
Changing the engine.
However, in addition to the cost of carrying out the work, you need to have the vehicle re-certified so it will be recognised by the DVSA as being compliant.
The big problem with both of these solutions is that the cost makes this process a very expensive undertaking.
If you are considering replacing the engine in your car to be ULEZ compliant, this will be a DVLA notifiable modification for the change in engine number and engine capacity.
That’s because switching the engine would lead to a change in the emission values that are clearly stated in the car’s V5C document or logbook.
Instead, you’ll need to undertake a full rolling road emissions test to find out what the engine’s emission values are – and this is very expensive.
If you are interested in switching engines, the test must be carried out by a Vehicle Certification Agency approved test facility – it cannot be carried out at an MOT test centre.
And if you’re wondering why there are not any retrofit systems available for cars, it’s because they’re too expensive to design and develop and then test before approval is given as a retrofit system.
TLF - LEZ - Ways to meet the standards
Replace your vehicle
You could upgrade to a newer vehicle that meets the standards or an electric vehicle. Find out more about replacing your vehicle.
Retrofit your vehicle
Check your vehicle to see if it meets the LEZ emissions standards. If it doesn't, you may be able to retrofit your vehicle with emissions reduction technology.
Emissions reduction technology
Emissions reduction technologies include:
Selective catalytic reduction, which reduces NOx emissions
Replacement Euro VI engines
Converting a vehicle to electric power
Retrofit technologies need to be approved by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS). This government scheme, funded by Defra, establishes common standards for all Clean Air Zone cities.
EnergySavingTrust - Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme
Can I retrofit my pre-Euro 4 petrol car?
There are currently no CVRAS approved retrofit emission control systems for pre-Euro 4 petrol cars and we do not expect any to come to market in the foreseeable future. The Euro 4 standards for petrol cars came into effect between 2004-2006 and generally cars first registered with the DVLA after 2005 meet the Euro 4 standard. This means cars that are up to 16 years old are generally compliant for a CAZ, LEZ or ULEZ.
Can I replace the engine in my car to become CAZ, LEZ or ULEZ compliant (engine re-power)?
This is possible, however there are no CVRAS approved re-powers for cars. This kind of conversion would be a DVLA notifiable modification in terms of engine number and engine capacity, but it would not lead to a change in emission values as stated on the vehicle’s V5C document (logbook) unless an expensive full rolling road emissions test is conducted to obtain the new emission values. This test would need to be conducted at a Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) approved test facility and cannot be conducted at an MOT test centre.