04/09/2026
The UK Government is planning to introduce much stricter emissions testing for vehicles and this could make it harder or more expensive to keep older cars, modified vehicles and historic vehicles on the road.
It aims to ensure that cars, vans, and trucks continue to meet the exact same emissions standards they were originally built to meet when first registered.
It targets issues like:
Defective or poorly maintained engine components.
Illegal tampering with emission-control systems (such as deliberately removing a Diesel Particulate Filter/DPF).
Defeat devices or "emission-cheat" software.
Four specific modifications will be treated as a criminal offence under updated sections of the Road Traffic Act 1988:
Particulate Filter Deletions: Removing DPFs (diesel) or GPFs (petrol).
Catalytic Converter Removal: Deleting 3-way catalysts, even if replacing them with "sports cats" that still cause the vehicle to exceed factory Euro limits.
AdBlue / SCR Manipulation: Installing "AdBlue delete" software or bypass hardware.
EGR Manipulation: Disabling Exhaust Gas Recirculation systems physically or via ECU remapping.
Why does this matter? Well, the DfT claims it isn't targeting the hobbyist tuning sector; the law will naturally make standard upgrades illegal if they touch the ECU map or change the original emissions profile.
And for Classic cars where original, factory-standard replacement components are no longer manufactured for certain ageing vehicles, it could mean owners are penalised for using alternative aftermarket fixes.
Read the Government consultation and submit a response if you disagree with the proposed changes. 👇
Seeks views on proposals to strengthen the law around emissions from motor vehicles that are in-use on GB roads.
