Clean air zones

Is the Volkswagen Beetle ULEZ compliant?

Name: Volkswagen Beetle MOT tests by fuel and first-use year, against clean air zone standards
Creator: VetTheCar
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

It depends on the fuel and the Euro emissions standard of the car, not on the model. Here is how 182,117 DVSA MOT tests of the Volkswagen Beetle with a recorded fuel, from 2022 to 2025 on cars aged 3 to 25 at test, split by fuel and first-use year, and which of them generally meet the London ULEZ and clean air zone standards.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026 · Zone rules checked 22 September 2026

Short answer, by fuel

Petrol: petrol cars first used in 2006 or later generally meet Euro 4, the standard for petrol cars. At least 55.0% of petrol Beetle MOT tests (n=137,393) were on cars first used in 2006 or later, and 20.0% on cars first used in 2005 or earlier, which meet it only if built to Euro 4.
Diesel: diesel cars first used from September 2015 generally meet Euro 6; earlier diesels meet it only if built to Euro 6. At least 5.2% of diesel Beetle MOT tests (n=44,724) were on cars first used in 2016 or later, and 50.2% on cars first used in 2014 or earlier, which meet it only if built to Euro 6.

Fuels and first-use dates

Share of Volkswagen Beetle MOT tests 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.

Volkswagen Beetle MOT tests 2022 to 2025 with a recorded fuel, on cars aged 3 to 25 at test (n=182,117). A fuel is listed when it has at least 1,000 tests.
Fuel	Tests (n)	Share	Meets by date if first used	Share that do
Petrol	137,393	75.4%	2006 or later	at least 55.0%
Diesel	44,724	24.6%	2016 or later	at least 5.2%

By first-use year

Every first-use year of the Volkswagen Beetle with enough MOT tests, and what the date alone says for each fuel. We do not have the fuel split for each year. A car first used in 2016 or later generally meets both standards.

Volkswagen Beetle MOT tests 2022 to 2025 by the year the car was first used, all fuels, cars aged 3 to 25 at test. A year is listed when it has at least 1,000 tests.
First used	Tests (n)	Petrol, by date	Diesel, by date
2018	3,624	Generally Euro 4 or later	Generally Euro 6
2017	6,051	Generally Euro 4 or later	Generally Euro 6
2016	9,151	Generally Euro 4 or later	Generally Euro 6
2015	13,095	Generally Euro 4 or later	Euro 6 from September
2014	14,511	Generally Euro 4 or later	Depends on the car
2013	17,840	Generally Euro 4 or later	Depends on the car
2012	9,135	Generally Euro 4 or later	Depends on the car
2011	2,705	Generally Euro 4 or later	Depends on the car
2010	8,553	Generally Euro 4 or later	Depends on the car
2009	7,282	Generally Euro 4 or later	Depends on the car
2008	9,858	Generally Euro 4 or later	Depends on the car
2007	12,060	Generally Euro 4 or later	Depends on the car
2006	12,950	Generally Euro 4 or later	Depends on the car
2005	13,627	Depends on the car	Depends on the car
2004	15,545	Depends on the car	Depends on the car
2003	11,713	Depends on the car	Depends on the car
2002	5,861	Depends on the car	Depends on the car
2001	4,879	Depends on the car	Depends on the car
2000	3,409	Depends on the car	Depends on the car

Zones that charge or fine cars

What a car below the standard pays. Electric cars meet the standard in every zone.
Zone	Petrol	Diesel	Below the standard
London ULEZ	Euro 4	Euro 6	£12.50 a day
Birmingham Clean Air Zone	Euro 4	Euro 6	£8 a day
Bristol Clean Air Zone	Euro 4	Euro 6	£9 a day
Oxford Zero Emission Zone	Euro 4	Euro 6	Every car pays except zero emission: £4 a day if it meets the standard, £10 if not
Glasgow Low Emission Zone	Euro 4	Euro 6	No charge to pay: a fine of £60 (£30 if paid within 14 days)
Edinburgh Low Emission Zone	Euro 4	Euro 6	No charge to pay: a fine of £60 (£30 if paid within 14 days)
Dundee Low Emission Zone	Euro 4	Euro 6	No charge to pay: a fine of £60 (£30 if paid within 14 days)
Aberdeen Low Emission Zone	Euro 4	Euro 6	No charge to pay: a fine of £60 (£30 if paid within 14 days)

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. The years here are a guide: many cars first used before a cut-off still meet it. Check one car with our ULEZ checker or TfL’s vehicle checker. Exemptions such as the disabled tax class or historic vehicles depend on the car and its keeper.

Other Volkswagen models

All clean air zones

ULEZ and clean air zones compared, with every model by make.

Looking at one Volkswagen Beetle?

Enter its fuel and the month it was first registered, or the Euro standard from its V5C, and see each zone’s answer for that car.

Use the ULEZ checker See an example VetTheCar Buying Report

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

Sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025, on vehicles aged 3 to 25 at test. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Zone rules from Transport for London, GOV.UK, mygov.scot and council websites, checked 22 September 2026. London rules powered by TfL Open Data. Council figures come from each council’s website, linked on each zone page.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA, TfL or any council. How we calculate these figures · Data sources