Electric and low-emission campervans

Plenty of people who travel in a campervan would like it to burn less fuel and put out less smoke. Some look at an electric van. Others look for a cleaner diesel or petrol model.

These notes cover the rules that change when a camper is electric or low emission. They follow guidance from GOV.UK, Transport for London and the Scottish Government.

Weight and the car driving licence

A standard car licence (category B) covers vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3,500kg for petrol and diesel. That limit includes hybrids.

For electric or hydrogen vehicles the limit is 4,250kg. GOV.UK says this applies to zero emission vehicles only. The maximum authorised mass is the most the vehicle can weigh when fully loaded, and it is usually shown on a plate or sticker on the vehicle.

Batteries, beds, water tanks and cupboards all add weight. DVLA advises that a converted camper needs enough payload left over for a passenger in every seat, along with luggage and full water tanks. Payload is the gross vehicle weight minus the unladen weight.

Charging on the road

The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 set rules for public chargers in the UK. Operators must show the most a charging session can cost, in pence per kilowatt hour, before charging starts. The price cannot go above that once charging has begun.

New public chargers of 8kW and above must take contactless payment. So must existing chargers of 50kW and above. Every public charger must display a free helpline that is staffed 24 hours a day.

Rapid chargers must be 99% reliable, measured as an average across each operator's rapid network over the year.

Clean air zones in England

Some English cities charge older, more polluting vehicles to drive into a clean air zone. In October 2026 GOV.UK lists zones in Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside.

Each zone has a class from A to D, and the class decides which vehicles pay. Vans are charged in class C and D zones, and cars in class D. Vans and cars avoid the charge if they meet Euro 6 for diesel or Euro 4 for petrol. Ultra low emission vehicles have a national exemption.

The vehicle's log book shows its emission standard. GOV.UK has a checker that works from the number plate.

London and Scotland

London's Ultra Low Emission Zone covers all the London boroughs and runs every day except Christmas Day. Transport for London says the daily charge applies to vans and specialist vehicles up to and including 3.5 tonnes. Heavier vans and specialist vehicles fall under London's separate Low Emission Zone instead.

Scotland has four low emission zones, in the centres of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Cameras check every vehicle. A vehicle that does not meet the standard can get a penalty charge, and drivers cannot pay in advance to avoid it.

Vehicle tax

Electric vehicles now pay vehicle tax. GOV.UK also sets an extra yearly rate for expensive vehicles, paid for five years from the second time the vehicle is taxed. For an electric car or motorhome, it applies when the list price was more than £50,000.