Name of the environmental zone: Environmental Zone Leipzig – Germany
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 01-03-2011
Type of environmental zone: Permanent
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Information currently unavailable
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Trucks of types N1, N2 and N3 and busses of types M2 and M3 that do not fulfill Euro Norm 4 as well as cars and mobile homes <3,5 t of type M1 that do not fulfill the Euro Norm 4.
Fines: 80 euros.
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The environmental zones in Leipzig encompasses a major part of the city area.
Special features: None.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Subject area for permits: genehmigungen@leipzig.de; Phone: 0341/123-3434.
Exemptions: Information currently unavailable
Environmental zone (green)
Do I need stickers or registrations?
To enter an environmental zone, each vehicle concerned requires a valid green environmental sticker. Otherwise, a fine of 80 euros plus 25 euros processing fee is to be expected.
How do I recognize the low emission zone?
The green environmental zone can be recognized by the traffic signs 270.1 and 270.2.
In front of each zone there is the sign 270.1 with an additional sign for the permitted sticker.
The end of the low emission zone is shown by the sign 270.2.
In our Green Zones App we have a detailed map of each low emission zone. So you can easily see the boundaries and avoid penalties.
Are there other low emission zones in Germany?
Yes, a lot of them. With over 80 different environmental zones, Germany has one of the most in Europe.
In our Green Zones App we have gathered together all the low emission zones in Europe and presented them clearly.
Electric cars
Is there a sticker for electric cars?
Yes! However, the sticker for electric vehicles is not intended for everyone. If the vehicle is registered in Germany, the last character on the license plate can be an "E". However, if the vehicle is registered abroad, an electric sticker (E-sticker) is required.
What advantages do I have with an E-sticker?
The E-sticker gives you various advantages. Depending on the municipality, there are various advantages, such as the use of bus lanes, free parking on the road and at electricity charging points, as well as the possible use of otherwise closed roads.
Do I need a green environmental sticker despite the E-sticker?
Yes, every car, no matter whether it is being driven on with petrol, diesel or electricity, requires a green environmental sticker according to the law. The E-sticker also entitles you to additional advantages over non-electric vehicles. The 35th BImSchV does not provide a separate paragraph for electric vehicles, which regulates them as an exception. Therefore: If an electric vehicle drives into a green environmental zone without a green sticker, a fine of 80 € + approx. 25 € handling fee must be expected.
Good to know...
All current driving bans and further information are available in our Green-Zones App.
CO2 scandal with e-cars
E-cars are said to emit significantly more CO2 than thought. According to new estimates, they would be even more harmful to the climate than diesel and petrol vehicles. Experts are already talking about electric gate.
Car density on the rise
The number of vehicles in Germany continues to increase. There is no trend away from the car proclaimed by politicians. Even in large cities, more and more people are relying on their own cars in front of their doors. The traffic turnaround with alternative mobility concepts has been missed.
Why are there environmental zones?
Environmental zones and driving bans exist primarily to keep air pollution, i.e. the pollutants present in the air, as low as possible. But what exactly are these pollutants and why are they so dangerous?
The bicycle as an air filter
20 million bikes for clean air. This idea is currently maturing in China. A bicycle rental company provides bicycles that filter the ambient air during use. The idea is to finally do something about the bad air in Beijing and other supermetropolises.
E-cars not convincing
Only one in two e-car drivers would recommend their vehicle to others. Only Tesla customers are really satisfied with their vehicle. The other manufacturers are still struggling, especially with the charging structure. No wonder, then, that the e-car is only slowly gaining acceptance in Germany.
No diesel driving bans in Düsseldorf
There will be no diesel driving bans in Düsseldorf. Gate traffic lights and 30 km/h zones are to regulate traffic in the city on the Rhine in the future. A focus is also to be placed on bus and bicycle traffic. Thus, the last dispute about diesel driving bans in North Rhine-Westphalia has been settled.
The real air polluters
Low emission zones and diesel driving bans are locking more and more vehicles out of European cities. Ships and planes, which also contribute to air pollution, are mostly not regulated at all. In Hamburg, for example, ships on the Elbe cause pollution equivalent to an unfathomable 1.42 million diesel vehicles. What is the point of the diesel ban there?
Why is there no EU sticker?
The European Union's Air Quality Directive 2008/50/EC sets limits on air pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and particulate matter. Like other EU directives, however, it does not specify what countries must do to comply with the limit values. Each country can legislate itself and take measures to comply with EU law.
Ban of combustion vehicles in California
From 2035, the US state of California wants to ban the registration of new internal combustion vehicles. Unlike in European countries, where a date for the phase-out has also been set in many places, some motorbikes, among others, are also affected.
Bulgaria's first environmental zone
The Bulgarian government is declaring war on air pollution in the capital. Over the next few years, about one billion euros are to be invested in improving air quality. An environmental zone that only allows vehicles with Euro standard 3 and better to enter would be the first in the country.