Aline Motor Care, Chelmsley Wood B37
Where the zone is, and when it runs
Birmingham runs a Class D Clean Air Zone. That is the strictest class used in England. It covers the area inside the A4540 Middleway. The ring road itself is not charged.
It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. One charging day is midnight to midnight. Drive in once, you pay for that day, not per camera.
Our workshop is in Chelmsley Wood, B37 7UU, outside the zone. Digbeth, the city core and the area inside the Middleway are inside it.
What you pay if the car is not compliant
Birmingham City Council has charged £8 a day for non-compliant cars and vans, and £50 a day for HGVs, buses and coaches. Those are the figures in wide use at the time of writing. Charges and exemptions can change, so treat the GOV.UK Clean Air Zone checker as the live answer for your registration.
Pay by 11:59pm on the sixth day after you enter, or you risk a penalty. GOV.UK currently describes that penalty as a PCN, commonly £120, often reduced if paid promptly. Check the notice you are sent rather than assuming the discount.
Which cars are usually free
You do not pay if the vehicle meets the national CAZ standard: petrol Euro 4 or better, diesel Euro 6 or better. Fully electric and hydrogen vehicles do not pay. Hybrids still have to meet the petrol or diesel standard of the engine they actually use.
Do not guess from the year on the plate. Most petrol cars from around 2006 onwards are Euro 4, and most diesel cars from late 2015 onwards are Euro 6, but there are exceptions. The checker is the only reliable method.
Motorcycles are generally not charged in Birmingham. Historic vehicles and some disabled tax-class vehicles have national exemptions. Local exemptions exist too. Check Brum Breathes or GOV.UK before you rely on one.
What this means in the workshop
Older diesels are the cars that get caught. A 2013 TDI Golf or an early 3 Series diesel can be a solid car and still cost £8 every time it goes through Digbeth. That is a policy charge, not a fault with the engine.
If you live inside the zone, or you commute through it, a non-compliant diesel adds up. If you only go in a few times a year, paying the day charge is often cheaper than changing the car. We will not talk you into a new motor to dodge a fee.
A service or a DPF clean does not change the Euro standard on the V5. If the car fails the checker, it fails the checker.
Before you drive in
Check the registration on GOV.UK. Pay in advance if you already know you will be charged. If the car is not right to drive through the zone, we can collect from Digbeth and surrounding streets. Ask when you book.
For servicing itself, see the servicing page. We quote against the registration before work starts.