EU Clean Air Stickers update ..

[Malc1]

Clean Air Stickers update today  ..  if anyone is further interested  .............

 

https://news.sky.com/story/driving-through-france-this-summer-this-is-what-youll-need-to-avoid-a-fine-12935978

 

Good luck travelling around Europe this coming season everyone 

Malc

 

[Stanwithaplan]

Well spotted Malc.

I got one of these Crit'air certificates back in May for my LS400, it cost me Euro 4.61 in total and took 2 days to approve by email and about a week to receive in the post. The LS400 is Euro Standard 3.

https://entreprendre.service-public.fr/vosdroits/R44284?lang=en

Also for a number of years I've used the Emovis tag system to auto pay the road tolls, so you can avoid stopping to pay at the kiosks/paypoints and roll through the "T" lane instead, saves hassle. I thoroughly recommend. 

https://www.emovis-tag.co.uk/

[VFR]

IMO.

Avoid France if at all possible (i do if going to Spain) and would go out of my way if going to Italy. 

Been going through France since the 70’s and even the they just tolerated / picked on / gave a hard time to anyone not French and nothing has changed IMO. 

[Stanwithaplan]

Ha Ha! Sadly I got nicked for speeding on the way to LeMans this year, but generally I enjoy roadtrips through France.

[BigBoomer]

For anyone who cares the LS430 is CritAir 2 (Euro 4). 😁

I also use an Emovis Péage tag. FAR easier than that whole tollbooth cash/card palaver and on the newer "gare de péage" you don't even have to stop, just slow to 30Kph.
It costs up to €20 per year above what you pay for the péages (it used to include a discount but no longer does) but is worth it just for the convenience.

I've been riding/driving in France since 1983 and I have only been nicked once for speeding there. 128Kph in a 110Kph section that was VERY poorly signposted in the LS430 in 2017.
I used to do the old dual carriageway (N7) from Vienne to Orange at frankly stupid speeds in the early 80s on my way to the Bol D'Or races at Circuit Paul Ricard.

France is dead easy to drive in so long as you avoid all the major cities like Paris, Lyon, and Aix-Marseille and don't go in July/August when all the mad Parisians are on the holiday.
I like driving there as the drivers are mostly considerate (away from the cities), they pull back over after overtaking, and mostly drive little French cars which the LS blows in to the weeds.
Certainly the standard of driving there is WAY higher than it is here. Here I often now avoid driving at all as it is just too stressful, even in the LS.

[Malc1]

I was surprised reading my post that even Switzerland is adopting the need for the Sticker .........  so a round France  Swiss and Italy funtime needs maybe a sticker for EACH COUNTRY I'm reading 

You'd have thought there would be one single Euro  Sticker maybe !

The fines seem high and also I won't be able to get a Sticker for my aged Ls400 as it's not good on allowed emissions sadly .....  I'm assuming !

And my only speeding fine EVER was in France ....  I wondered why everyone else was going at a snails pace .............

Cest le vie  ( that's French too 😅)

Malc

[Cotswold Pete]

26 minutes ago, BigBoomer said:

France is dead easy to drive in so long as you avoid all the major cities

Certainly the standard of driving there is WAY higher than it is here.

Agree with the 'dead easy' though Kansas in USA is even more chilled (and naff all cars outside of any town)

As to the standard of driving, kind of agree but when it is bad it is as mad as anything you will see in UK

[Bluemarlin]

58 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

I was surprised reading my post that even Switzerland is adopting the need for the Sticker .........  so a round France  Swiss and Italy funtime needs maybe a sticker for EACH COUNTRY I'm reading 

You'd have thought there would be one single Euro  Sticker maybe !

The fines seem high and also I won't be able to get a Sticker for my aged Ls400 as it's not good on allowed emissions sadly .....  I'm assuming !

And my only speeding fine EVER was in France ....  I wondered why everyone else was going at a snails pace .............

Cest le vie  ( that's French too 😅)

Malc

There's definitely a different sticker needed for Germany,  as I went there a couple of years ago.

I've just done two separate week long trips to France in the last month, including a visit to the centre of Paris.  I found it pretty easy and much nicer than driving in London, or on UK motorways. I agree with the above that driving standards seem to be better, and the motorways were comparitively empty.

[Lexus_2023]

I have just returned from a week long trip to Belgium and Netherlands.  Emission sticker is not required, we need to get the cars approved if we would like to visit few locations now. However, specific places like Antwerp and Brussels now demand approval for foreign registered vehicles if we intend to visit those areas.

Car registration to visit Antwerp : 

https://www.slimnaarantwerpen.be/en/LEZ/register-your-vehicle

Car registration to visit Brussels:

https://lez.brussels/mytax/en/registration

Btw, my 2002 LS430 has passed Antwerp LEZ zone tests and allowed to visit up to  31/12/2027.

Initially, Brussels' transport authorities communicated a requirement of 35 euros per day for my visit to Brussels due to an unspecified euro standard in my V5 document. However, after I submitted a separate request to them, providing emission standard details that included Lexus's early emission standard adoption scheme, I did not receive any response. Interestingly, when attempting to make the 35 euro payment, the system indicated that it was unnecessary to do so.  Hopefully I don't have to pay....

[Malc1]

and another tiny conundrum ……. my additional “ new to me “  1991 Ls400 is of course over 30 years young and I think somewhere I was reading with all this Clean Air Sticker  that Europe wide this age becomes a Classic Car and free of emissions controls BUT still needs the EU Sticker ?  ….. like in the UK with 40 year old classics being automatically ULEZ Exempt …… is that so ??? 

Your thoughts please 

 

Malc 
 

[BigBoomer]

It will be resolved soon, but don't hold your breath. For now your LS400s are "Interdit" 🙄
https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/Practical/Your-Questions/Everyday-Life/How-do-I-get-a-French-Crit-Air-sticker-for-foreign-classic-car

[BigBoomer]

On 8/14/2023 at 8:50 AM, Lexus_2023 said:

Initially, Brussels' transport authorities communicated a requirement of 35 euros per day for my visit to Brussels due to an unspecified euro standard in my V5 document. However, after I submitted a separate request to them, providing emission standard details that included Lexus's early emission standard adoption scheme, I did not receive any response. Interestingly, when attempting to make the 35 euro payment, the system indicated that it was unnecessary to do so.  Hopefully I don't have to pay....

Did you set your car to Euro 4 and send a copy of your registration document?
My V5 (2004) has no Euro value on it but does show the CO, HC, and NOx levels and those are all that is required for Euro 4.
I had done the Brussels one before but just renewed it until 2028 as my sister lives there. Thanks for the reminder. 

Euro 5 and later require an NMHC (Non-Methane Hydro-Carbons) level which the LS430 was never tested for and probably won't pass.
What is strange is that none of the Euro emissions specs detail the CO2 emissions levels of the vehicle.

[Lexus_2023]

@BigBoomer Nope, I didn't set my car specification to Euro 4 as it was not available in my V5 document- similar to your document. How ever, I separately submitted a request to them by attaching my v5 and explaining the situation i.e. CO, HC, and NOx levels and those are all that meet the Euro 4 specifications.

[Lexus_2023]

@BigBoomer  Btw, thanks for the information regarding NHMC level. I browsed few websites, they all mention about Euro 4 standard, but they don't provide me with the specification.  I would like to obtain Euro 4 standard specification from an official source to submit a request to Birmingham and Bristol councils. Do you have any specific link or website that shows these specification , please?    thanks!

[Malc1]

fully compliant by 2050 no doubt with a heat pump attached and well, I guess by then we'll maybe all be travelling in a Fully Compliant hearse whatever to our final destinations ....  doubtless there'll be even stricter burning emission controls / burial limits on graves if appropriate  ............ and all that sodding nonsense too 😅

 ......... and heaven forfend anyone has to ever step outside the car to do an essential Peeeeee 🤩

Am I joking do you think ?

Malc

[BigBoomer]

21 hours ago, Lexus_2023 said:

@BigBoomer  Btw, thanks for the information regarding NHMC level. I browsed few websites, they all mention about Euro 4 standard, but they don't provide me with the specification.  I would like to obtain Euro 4 standard specification from an official source to submit a request to Birmingham and Bristol councils. Do you have any specific link or website that shows these specification , please?    thanks!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_emission_standards
http://www.emissionsfinder.com/lexus-all-models-ls430-43cc
https://www.parkers.co.uk/lexus/ls/saloon-2000/43-v8-4d-auto-(02)/specs/
If Birmingham and Bristol are unwilling to accept that the LS430 is Euro 4 compliant, then they are the only ones.

[BigBoomer]

21 hours ago, Malc1 said:

fully compliant by 2050 no doubt with a heat pump attached and well, I guess by then we'll maybe all be travelling in a Fully Compliant hearse whatever to our final destinations ....  doubtless there'll be even stricter burning emission controls / burial limits on graves if appropriate  ............ and all that sodding nonsense too 😅

 ......... and heaven forfend anyone has to ever step outside the car to do an essential Peeeeee 🤩

Am I joking do you think ?

Malc

We will still be cremated but the furnace will have carbon-capture systems in it's chimney.

You already have a heat pump in both your LS400s. It's called air-conditioning. 😁
The only difference for a house heat-pump is that it works both ways (heating and cooling) where your car system only cools (heat comes from the engine cooling system).
Yes, they are more efficient for heating than gas/electric boilers but less so for hot water. They do have the advantage of also cooling your house in summer, if you understand that you need to close the doors & windows for it to cool effectively. No, I don't have one because at the moment they are stupidly expensive to buy and fit, but once the price comes down and the powers that be decide that they can be wall mounted, then I might go for one.

If you need a pee whilst in a self-driving car you will just have to hit the "Emergency Toilet Break" button or just say "Lexus, I need to take a waz. Find me a toilet pronto" to be chauffeured to the nearest public convenience forthwith. 🤣