Clean air zones
Is the Toyota Prius ULEZ compliant?
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 614,624 MOT tests · Updated
At least 29.3% of the Toyota Prius’s 614,624 MOT tests in 2022–2025 were on cars that meet the ULEZ standard by first-use date alone [1].
- Hybrid: at least 29.3% of 614,624 MOT tests were on cars first used in 2016 or later [1]
- Near the cut-off: A hybrid Toyota Prius follows the rule for its engine: a petrol hybrid generally meets the standard when first registered new after 2005, a diesel hybrid after September 2015 [2]
- Standard: petrol Euro 4, diesel Euro 6 in every zone that charges or fines cars [2]
The fuel, the first-use date and the Euro standard on the V5C decide it for each car. Check the reg first.
Toyota Prius fuels and first-use dates
Most Toyota Prius MOT tests were on hybrid cars (100.0%).
The table gives the share by fuel, and the share on cars first used late enough to meet the standard by date alone. We count by the car’s age at test, so cars close to a cut-off are left out of that share: it is a lower bound.
| Fuel | MOT tests | Share | Meets by date if first used | Share that do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 614,624 | 100.0% | 2016 or later | at least 29.3% |
Toyota Prius hybrids are counted from 2016 because our model tables do not split petrol and diesel hybrids (DVSA does record it, and most hybrids are petrol). A petrol hybrid generally met Euro 4 from 2006, so this share is low.
Toyota Prius by first-use year
Every first-use year of the Toyota Prius with at least 1,000 MOT tests, and what the date and the VCA data say for each fuel. The MOT table has no fuel split by year; the DfT fleet below has one. Cars under 3 years old have no MOT yet, so the newest first-use year here is 2022. A car first used in 2016 or later generally meets both standards.
| First used | MOT tests by first-use year | Hybrid, by date |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 to 2022 | 270,403 | Generally meets |
| 2015 | 52,774 | Depends on the car |
| 2011 to 2014 | 143,977 | Depends on the car |
| 2006 to 2010 | 133,047 | Depends on the car |
| 2004 to 2005 | 13,378 | Depends on the car |
Toyota Prius cars licensed in the UK
DfT counted 111,860 Toyota Prius cars licensed in the UK at the end of 2025 [4]. Of those whose fuel the model name shows, 97.4% of the 111,860 petrol ones (petrol hybrids included) were first used in 2006 or later, so generally meet Euro 4. That leaves 2,888 petrol Toyota Prius cars first used before 2006 still licensed: each of them depends on the Euro standard on its V5C.
| Fuel | Licensed | First used before the date | First used 2015 (diesel changeover) | Generally meet it by date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol (with petrol hybrids) | 111,860 | 2,888 | – | 97.4% |
The versions most often licensed
The versions with the most Toyota Prius cars licensed are the Prius Hybrid (petrol, mostly first used 2012 to 2019), the Prius T Spirit VVT-i CVT (petrol, mostly first used 2009 to 2014) and the Prius T Spirit VV-i Auto (petrol, mostly first used 2005 to 2008) [4]. Of the 5 in the table, the Prius T Spirit VV-i Auto has the largest share first used before 2006: 11.1% of 11,038.
| Version (DfT model name) | Fuel | Licensed | Mostly first used | First used before the date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prius Hybrid | petrol | 35,692 | 2012 to 2019 | 150 |
| Prius T Spirit VVT-i CVT | petrol | 18,483 | 2009 to 2014 | fewer than 10 |
| Prius T Spirit VV-i Auto | petrol | 11,038 | 2005 to 2008 | 1,224 |
| Prius T3 VVT-i CVT | petrol | 8,674 | 2010 to 2015 | 0 |
| Prius Active VVT-i CVT | petrol | 7,233 | 2016 to 2019 | 0 |
Estimate: DfT does not publish fuel by year of first use, so the fuel is read from each DfT model name (a name counts when at least 95% of its licensed cars in Great Britain in 2026 Q1 have one fuel); fewer than 10 cars whose name does not show the fuel, or with no year, are left out. The year is the year of first use, or of manufacture where DfT has none. Licensed means taxed or exempt at the end of the year, not necessarily driven.
Where Toyota Prius cars are tested in zone areas
Share of the Toyota Prius’s 157,019 MOT tests in 2025 done at stations in the postcode areas around each zone.
Toyota Prius MOT tests were most often done around the London ULEZ (41.8%), Birmingham Clean Air Zone (9.1%) and Bradford Clean Air Zone (2.8%). Against all cars tested there, it is most over-represented around the London ULEZ: 41.8% of its tests, 10.7% of all tests. Its busiest test areas overall were East London (E, 9.1%), Birmingham (B, 9.1%) and Harrow (HA, 5.0%).
| Zone | Share of its tests | Below the standard |
|---|---|---|
| London ULEZ | 41.8% (65,691 MOT tests) | £12.50 a day |
| Birmingham Clean Air Zone | 9.1% (14,217 MOT tests) | £8 a day |
| Bradford Clean Air Zone | 2.8% (4,434 MOT tests) | Cars are not charged |
| Sheffield Clean Air Zone | 1.3% (2,087 MOT tests) | Cars are not charged |
| Oxford Zero Emission Zone | 1.1% (1,669 MOT tests) | Every car pays except zero emission: £4 a day if it meets the standard, £10 if not |
| Bristol Clean Air Zone | 0.7% (1,065 MOT tests) | £9 a day |
| Newcastle and Gateshead Clean Air Zone | 0.5% (808 MOT tests) | Cars are not charged |
| Edinburgh Low Emission Zone | 0.5% (755 MOT tests) | No charge to pay: a fine of £60 (£30 if paid within 14 days) |
| Portsmouth Clean Air Zone | 0.4% (580 MOT tests) | Cars are not charged |
| Glasgow Low Emission Zone | 0.4% (570 MOT tests) | No charge to pay: a fine of £60 (£30 if paid within 14 days) |
| Bath Clean Air Zone | 0.2% (297 MOT tests) | Cars are not charged |
| Aberdeen Low Emission Zone | 0.1% (117 MOT tests) | No charge to pay: a fine of £60 (£30 if paid within 14 days) |
Toyota Prius recalls and MOT fail areas
DVSA lists 26 recalls for the Toyota Prius; the latest is R/2026/027, launched March 2026 [5]. One of them concerns emissions parts or software in DVSA’s wording: R/2016/152, fuel may leak / risk of fire. Ask for proof the work was done; the zones still go by the Euro standard on the V5C.
At 6 years old, the Toyota Prius’s most common MOT fail areas are lights and electrics (4.8 in 100 tests), tyres (3.9 in 100 tests) and visibility (2.8 in 100 tests) [1].
Emissions and leaks items, the part of the MOT closest to the zone rules, failed 0.2 in 100 tests at that age, less often than all cars the same age (1.3 in 100); the most common was “Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction” [1]. An MOT emissions test is not a zone check: a car can pass it and still be below the zone standard.
Toyota Prius versions near the cut-off dates
A hybrid Toyota Prius follows the rule for its engine: a petrol hybrid generally meets the standard when first registered new after 2005, a diesel hybrid after September 2015. These are TfL’s general date rules, not a check of one car: the Euro standard on the V5C (or the maker’s certificate of conformity) decides. [2]
The VCA car fuel data for May 2002 lists petrol Toyota Prius versions (1.5 litre) at Euro 4, before every new petrol car had to meet it in January 2006. So some petrol Toyota Prius cars first registered before 2006 may meet the ULEZ standard: the V5C or the maker’s certificate decides. [3]
Source: TfL: ULEZ standards for cars (petrol Euro 4, diesel Euro 6), applied by our build to this model’s fuels and first-use years in the MOT data, not checked car by car. The VCA sentence is read off the VCA table by our build.
Compliance is decided for each car, not for a model. A zone checks the Euro emissions standard the car was built to, which is on the V5C log book or the maker’s certificate of conformity. Check one car with our ULEZ checker or TfL’s vehicle checker.
More on the Toyota Prius
Other Toyota models
Of the Toyota models listed here, the Toyota RAV4 and the Toyota Corolla have a higher share of MOT tests on cars that meet the standard by date than the Toyota Prius, and none of them has a lower one.
Check one car against the clean air zones
These figures are for a model or a zone as a whole. The ULEZ checker estimates one car's status from its fuel, first registration date and VCA emissions data; the zone operator's own checker has the final word. A registration also shows the car's DVSA MOT record.
- Check a Toyota Prius's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
- Mileage check on a Toyota Prius The odometer reading from each MOT, with drops, jumps and long gaps flagged.
Questions people ask
Is a Toyota Prius hybrid ULEZ compliant?
At least 29.3% of 614,624 hybrid Toyota Prius MOT tests were on cars first used in 2016 or later, which generally meet the standard whatever the engine.
How much does a non-compliant Toyota Prius pay in London?
41.8% of Toyota Prius MOT tests in 2025 were around the London ULEZ, where a car below the standard pays £12.50 a day; one that meets it pays nothing.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 614,624 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
- Transport for London, ULEZ standards and charges for cars. TfL (text used as facts; see TfL terms). Accessed 22 Sep 2026.
- Vehicle Certification Agency, Car fuel and emissions data. VCA data, Open Government Licence v3.0. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
- Department for Transport, Vehicle licensing statistics, tables VEH0124 and VEH0120. DfT statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Accessed 22 Sep 2026.
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Vehicle recalls data (RecallsFile.csv). DVSA recall records, Open Government Licence v3.0. Accessed 22 Sep 2026.
Zone rules are read from the operators’ own pages and GOV.UK, quote-checked against a saved copy, and dated. The Euro standard by first-use date is a guide for a group of cars; a zone decides for each car. MOT figures count class 4 normal MOT tests; vans in class 4 cannot be separated from cars in the national figures.