Tank rides through London and avoids all congestion charges due to intelligent loophole
Published on Aug 23, 2023 at 3:29 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Aug 24, 2023 at 4:24 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
These guys managed to beat London’s infamous congestion charge using an intelligent loophole in the system.
As crazy as it may sound, you’re apparently allowed to drive an actual tank in London to dodge the congestion charge.
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An army tank is only considered a military vehicle until it’s decommissioned, at which point it just qualifies as a ‘regular’ vehicle.
Technically anybody can buy a tank, register it and pay relevant taxes and insurance, and then just drive it on the road.
Also, this tank was built in 1965, which means it is old enough to qualify as a ‘classic car’.
It sounds a bit ridiculous but it’s 100 percent legit.
Further, because it qualifies as a classic car, it’s exempt from London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, colloquially known as ULEZ.
Introduced in 2019, ULEZ covers the entirety of Central London, and it also covers the area within the North Circular and South Circular roads.
Imagine leaving Buckingham Palace or the Big Ben and having to drive at least 30 miles – that’s how far away from the center you have to go to get away to dodge ULEZ.
Or you can just buy a tank.
ULEZ isn’t particularly cheap, either.
It costs £12.5 ($16) per day, every day, if you’re driving a car, or £100 ($127) if you’re at the wheel of a bus or a truck.
If you live in London and drive a vehicle that’s subject to the congestion charge, you’ll have to fork out at least $5,700 just to keep it on the road.
And then on top of that we have to remember that classic cars usually benefit from tax cuts, lower insurance premiums and so on.
Meanwhile, these days you can buy a tank for less than $80,000.
We’re just saying.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
