Do you know environmental zone 2?

As of January 2020, municipalities were given the right to introduce environmental zones with class 1, 2 or 3 and soon the regulations for environmental zone 2 will be tightened. How are you and your cars affected?

To improve air quality, environmental zones were introduced a couple of years ago. The government gave municipalities the right to introduce the zones themselves, where they consider it necessary. The environmental zoning means that only certain vehicles that meet the limit for the amount of nitrogen oxide emissions are allowed to travel everywhere.

For passenger cars, light trucks and light buses that will travel in environmental zone 2, there are currently requirements that they must at least meet Euro 5, which applies to both vehicles powered by gasoline or diesel.

However, the regulations for environmental zone 2 are about to be tightened. From July 1, 2022, diesel-powered vehicles must meet Euro 6 to be allowed to drive here. The same applies to electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids with diesel engines.

Currently, environmental zone 3 has not been introduced anywhere in Sweden. However, environmental zone 1 is in several municipalities, including Gothenburg. Environmental zone 2 is located in one location in Sweden, at Hornsgatan in Stockholm.

How do you know if the car is allowed?

Emission limits are regulated by the EU, which divides cars into different classes, depending on the amount of emissions. Euro 5 became a requirement on September 1, 2009, and Euro 6 was added on September 1, 2014. Generally, these dates serve as a benchmark for whether a car meets class 6 or not. If the car is diesel-powered and older than 2014, it will most likely not be able to be driven in environmental zone 2 after July 1, 2022.

To check what applies to a particular car, you can enter the car's registration number in the Swedish Transport Agency's tool and look under the tab "Technical data > Engine and environment".

If you have diesel cars manufactured before 2014, now is a good time to sell them and at the same time take advantage of the currently high prices for used cars.