Transport for London sues major car makers for £1 billion over ULEZ emissions fraud
Transport for London (TfL) has filed a High Court claim seeking about £1 billion in damages from several large car manufacturers – Stellantis, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan. TfL alleges the companies falsified emissions data so diesel vehicles could enter the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) without paying the daily £12.50 charge, causing a loss of revenue and weakening the city’s air‑quality programme.
The lawsuit ties the alleged misconduct to false, dishonest, reckless or negligent representations made to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which supplies TfL with vehicle emission classifications. TfL says this undermined the effectiveness of the ULEZ, introduced in 2019 and expanded in 2023 to cover all of Greater London.
A preliminary hearing before the High Court has been held, and the case runs alongside a separate class action involving about 1.6 million motorists accusing the same manufacturers of using defeat‑device software to cheat emission tests – a dispute that stems from the earlier Dieselgate scandal.
Entities: BMW · Jaguar Land Rover · Nissan · Stellantis · Transport for London
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] TfL is seeking approximately £1 billion in damages from several major car manufacturers. (Transport for London)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The claim alleges manufacturers manipulated emissions data to allow vehicles to avoid ULEZ charges. (TfL legal claim)
- [● 2 SOURCES] A separate class action involves about 1.6 million motorists accusing manufacturers of using defeat‑device software to cheat emissions tests. (related litigation)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The ULEZ was introduced in 2019 and expanded across Greater London in 2023. (all)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The lawsuit targets Stellantis, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan. (TfL legal claim)
- [● 3 SOURCES] TfL relies on data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which receives emissions information from manufacturers. (TfL legal claim)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The ULEZ imposes a daily charge of £12.50 on vehicles that fail to meet emissions standards. (TfL policy)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The alleged fraud and negligence caused revenue losses for TfL. (TfL legal claim)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Transport for London is seeking approximately £1 billion in damages from several major car manufacturers. (Legal claim by TfL)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The ULEZ daily charge for non‑compliant vehicles is £12.50. (ULEZ policy)
- [● 4 SOURCES] TfL alleges car manufacturers manipulated emissions data to let vehicles avoid ULEZ charges. (TfL lawsuit allegations)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The case is being heard in the High Court in London. (Court venue)