ULEZ - Plans (and would you have to pay?)

[Noddy]

Battery life keeps coming up in conversations outside of RUK. It seems to be what a lot of people say puts them off. Whether it is true or not I don't know but there must be something triggering the comments. Certainly the alleged problem is putting a number of people off so there needs to be something done about that mis-information.

I know for me the range would be OK most of the time but the cases where I really need a car then the range would be tricky without quick and convenient charging and that issue will hopefully subside as more and more charging points become available. If range reduces with age enough to make a battery unusable then that the end of that battery's life. I wonder if people are comparing EV batteries to Lead-Acid batteries (for ICE) and that the similarities on life are not there.

I do think that the poor thermal management of the early Nissan Leaf (while still a great car) has given the anti-EV brigade some ammo here and some of what you are hearing does apply to the Leaf. The degradation of their batteries is larger than expected especially if exposed to (very) high temperatures. However, you really need to understand that later Leafs and all other cars have much more sophisticated battery management so if/when you hear those arguments you need to ignore them or point out they aren’t true (of any EVs apart from early Leafs).

 

[Peter Sarf]

I do think that the poor thermal management of the early Nissan Leaf (while still a great car) has given the anti-EV brigade some ammo here and some of what you are hearing does apply to the Leaf. The degradation of their batteries is larger than expected especially if exposed to (very) high temperatures. However, you really need to understand that later Leafs and all other cars have much more sophisticated battery management so if/when you hear those arguments you need to ignore them or point out they aren’t true (of any EVs apart from early Leafs).

Thanks for that. I think it would be worthwhile manufacturers coming clean about shortcomings so that they can point out the lack of shortcomings in improved designs. Otherwise rumours and speculation all too easily fill the information vacuum..

 

[AM9]

Thanks for that. I think it would be worthwhile manufacturers coming clean about shortcomings so that they can point out the lack of shortcomings in improved designs. Otherwise rumours and speculation all too easily fill the information vacuum..

Like VW (and others) making diesel engined cars that comply with Euro 6, or not if they get caught out!

 

[Peter Sarf]

Like VW (and others) making diesel engined cars that comply with Euro 6, or not if they get caught out!

Not much evidence we can trust the motor manufacturers is there. And being such a large part of the economy of many countries makes them rather more important than you or I !.

 

[AM9]

Not much evidence we can trust the motor manufacturers is there. And being such a large part of the economy of many countries makes them rather more important than you or I !.

So your thought that it would be worthwhile for manufacturers to come clean about shortcomings will forever be just that, 'your thought'. The motor industry has long sold cars to the public as enablers of freedom, clean living, and prestige, all of which are becoming completely detached from the actuality. There's a few posts in this thread that show just how many drivers make decisions about their cars based on nostalgia and even pique over the incoming changes.

 

[Noddy]

Thanks for that. I think it would be worthwhile manufacturers coming clean about shortcomings so that they can point out the lack of shortcomings in improved designs. Otherwise rumours and speculation all too easily fill the information vacuum..

Just to be clear it’s one version of one car by one manufacturer produced before it was fully understood how to best thermally manage the battery packs. Not manufacturers plural. I would also point out exactly the same could be applied to ICE cars. Over the years we’ve often seen ICE drive trains with design faults or flaws and when these have failed it kills the part and potentially other bits as well. Eg head gasket problems caused by poor design, killing the engine. With the leaf it doesn’t tend to result in total failure but rather just reduced range. The car still works perfectly fine, it just can’t goes as far as it could when new.

 

[Peter Sarf]

So your thought that it would be worthwhile for manufacturers to come clean about shortcomings will forever be just that, 'your thought'. The motor industry has long sold cars to the public as enablers of freedom, clean living, and prestige, all of which are becoming completely detached from the actuality. There's a few posts in this thread that show just how many drivers make decisions about their cars based on nostalgia and even pique over the incoming changes.

And look at the adverts for cars. Often inferring a nice lifestyle, always on empty roads (with no pesky pedestrians or bikes), something your kids would approve of (not "wouldn't be seen dead in") or associated with smugness/sexy-ladies/sexy-men (Renault "papa" and shakin that arse istr).

 

[Herefordian]

I drive into London for work. It used to be monthly, but is now three to five times a month.

I used to drive my non-compliant car and pay the charge.

When the frequency of trips into London increased, I decided to buy a ULEZ compliant car and run the old one as a modern classic.

I could have just switched to the train, but I prefer the convenience of driving.

 

[AM9]

I drive into London for work. It used to be monthly, but is now three to five times a month.

I used to drive my non-compliant car and pay the charge.

When the frequency of trips into London increased, I decided to buy a ULEZ compliant car and run the old one as a modern classic.

I could have just switched to the train, but I prefer the convenience of driving.

ULEZ is justa measure on the route to cleaning up the environment, - other restrictions/penalty charges will be available

 

[jon0844]

Just to be clear it’s one version of one car by one manufacturer produced before it was fully understood how to best thermally manage the battery packs. Not manufacturers plural. I would also point out exactly the same could be applied to ICE cars. Over the years we’ve often seen ICE drive trains with design faults or flaws and when these have failed it kills the part and potentially other bits as well. Eg head gasket problems caused by poor design, killing the engine. With the leaf it doesn’t tend to result in total failure but rather just reduced range. The car still works perfectly fine, it just can’t goes as far as it could when new.

A YouTuber recently bought an old, near 10 year old, Leaf for £4400 and despite the battery design flaw it still does around 80-100 miles and isn't likely to degrade much more, especially now it is known how to treat the car. Charged at 7p kWh (at home) it's ridiculously cheap to run as a second car, and he's already done about 1,000 miles in less than a month.

I have said before, if it wasn't for the horrid looks, I'd consider one because that's little over twice the price of a decent e-bike. Of course a bike won't add so much to congestion but the Leaf is a car for 4 or 5 people..

Future second hand EVs are going to be way better than this too.

 

[Noddy]

A YouTuber recently bought an old, near 10 year old, Leaf for £4400 and despite the battery design flaw it still does around 80-100 miles and isn't likely to degrade much more, especially now it is known how to treat the car. Charged at 7p kWh (at home) it's ridiculously cheap to run as a second car, and he's already done about 1,000 miles in less than a month.

I have said before, if it wasn't for the horrid looks, I'd consider one because that's little over twice the price of a decent e-bike. Of course a bike won't add so much to congestion but the Leaf is a car for 4 or 5 people..

Future second hand EVs are going to be way better than this too.

Indeed, I’d very happily buy one if it was just for a local run around.

 

[AM9]

A YouTuber recently bought an old, near 10 year old, Leaf for £4400 and despite the battery design flaw it still does around 80-100 miles and isn't likely to degrade much more, especially now it is known how to treat the car. Charged at 7p kWh (at home) it's ridiculously cheap to run as a second car, and he's already done about 1,000 miles in less than a month.

I have said before, if it wasn't for the horrid looks, I'd consider one because that's little over twice the price of a decent e-bike. Of course a bike won't add so much to congestion but the Leaf is a car for 4 or 5 people..

Future second hand EVs are going to be way better than this too.

I wonder if some halfway effective battery management retro-fit might be devised if there is a sufficient supply of them and corresponding demand for low cost, low-mid range EVs.

 

[Herefordian]

ULEZ is justa measure on the route to cleaning up the environment, - other restrictions/penalty charges will be available

The congestion charge is a nuisance, but it is what it is.

However, that and ULEZ would cost £27.50 per visit, or up to £137.50 a month.

I can't justify spending four figures per year for the privilege of driving an old Ford Focus into central London.

 

[AM9]

The congestion charge is a nuisance, but it is what it is.

However, that and ULEZ would cost £27.50 per visit, or up to £137.50 a month.

I can't justify spending four figures per year for the privilege of driving an old Ford Focus into central London.

That's fine as the primary aim of ULEZ is to remove the worst polluters first. Gettin those drivers to use public transport or take up active transport, is the next benefit. The next step will be to remove all polluters where feasible.

 

[greyman42]

That's fine as the primary aim of ULEZ is to remove the worst polluters first. Gettin those drivers to use public transport or take up active transport, is the next benefit. The next step will be to remove all polluters where feasible.

ULEZ is just a cash cow for the idiot of a mayor.

 

[jon0844]

I wonder if some halfway effective battery management retro-fit might be devised if there is a sufficient supply of them and corresponding demand for low cost, low-mid range EVs.

There are already many companies in this space, and no doubt many more to come (indeed, if you're looking to invest in companies for the future, these types of business would likely be smart choices).

In addition to just refurbishing existing batteries, there are also companies that will allow you to fit bigger batteries on cars that had multiple battery options, and programme the ECU/BMS as necessary to ensure it works properly and is safe. As a result, there are some Leaf owners who have managed to increase their range during their time of ownership!

 

[AM9]

There are already many companies in this space, and no doubt many more to come (indeed, if you're looking to invest in companies for the future, these types of business would likely be smart choices).

In addition to just refurbishing existing batteries, there are also companies that will allow you to fit bigger batteries on cars that had multiple battery options, and programme the ECU/BMS as necessary to ensure it works properly and is safe. As a result, there are some Leaf owners who have managed to increase their range during their time of ownership!

That's the sort of message I get from Robert Llewellyn's 'Fully Charged' blogs, but I hadn't seen anything specifically about improving battery life and performance of Leafs with a battery management makeover.

 

[DustyBin]

ULEZ is just a cash cow for the idiot of a mayor.

Well....

Sadiq Khan’s office tried to discredit and “silence” scientists who found that his ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) policy had little impact on pollution, The Telegraph can disclose.
In private emails seen by The Telegraph, Shirley Rodrigues, the London Mayor’s deputy for environment and energy, told Prof Frank Kelly she was “really disappointed” that Imperial College had publicised findings questioning the effectiveness of Ulez.
Prof Kelly, a director of Imperial’s Environmental Research Group, which has been paid more than £800,000 by Mr Khan’s office since 2021, agreed to issue a statement – partly written by Ms Rodrigues – saying Ulez had helped to “dramatically reduce air pollution”.
London Conservatives said the correspondence revealed an “alarmingly cosy relationship” between the Mayor’s office and the scientists it was funding, as well as a desire to “silence scientists who question the effectiveness of Khan’s policies”.

Prof Kelly’s colleagues said they stood by their research “100 per cent”, but The Telegraph understands that the fallout has had a chilling effect, leaving them unwilling to publish further work on the subject.
The study from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters in 2021, found that the introduction of Ulez in 2019 cut nitrogen dioxide by less than three per cent and had insignificant effects on ozone and particulate matter.
Peter Fortune, the Conservative London Assembly Member for Bexley and Bromley, two of the boroughs challenging the Ulez expansion, said: “It is unacceptable that Sadiq Khan and his deputy conspired to silence legitimate research because it would damage the Mayor’s reputation and credibility.
“Sadiq Khan has claimed he is just following the science, yet he has been using scientific advisors to protect his own interests. Science relies on open, transparent debate.”

Imperial’s Environmental Research Group has been paid at least £802,958 by Mr Khan’s office since 2021, including a payment of £45,958 for a report on the “future health benefits of mayoral air quality policies” which has been widely cited by the Mayor despite not being peer reviewed.
Cllr Colin Smith, the leader of Bromley Council said: “When academics are paid for their research, it quite reasonably leads to questions being asked about the outcomes sought by those commissioning the work.

“Indeed, as long ago as last autumn we directly challenged Imperial as to their methodology and the conclusions of some of their research ourselves, and the revelation of these emails now serves to seriously heighten those concerns.”
Emails released under Freedom of Information requests show that Ms Rodrigues wrote to Prof Kelly on Nov 16 2021, complaining that Sky News, The Times and The Mail were running a “misleading” Ulez study that had been press released by Imperial College.
Ms Rodrigues thanked Prof Kelly’s team for trying to stop Imperial’s press office from releasing the research and said that she was “deeply concerned” about the damage the study was doing to credibility of the Mayor’s office and Ulez.
She added: “Is there anything you can do or advise to help us set the record straight? I would really appreciate any support.”
Prof Kelly replied, saying he was “totally dismayed” and was “pursuing options internally to offset this”. He said he would be “very happy to provide the Greater London Authority with support required as you move to mitigate the damage”.
Prof Kelly sent a statement to Ms Rodrigues to check, which initially said actions by the Mayor were “collectively providing a major benefit to the city”. She replied, crossing out the word “collectively” and adding that the Mayor’s schemes “have dramatically reduced air pollution in London”.

Re: Ulez study​

• 
  From: Frank Kelly
  Sent: Wednesday November 17 2021 08:49
  To: Shirley Rodrigues
  Re: Ulez study
  Dear Shirley,
  I only learned about this study yesterday, and of course was totally dismayed about its limitations and the erroneous associated press release from another section of Imperial.
  I appreciate the level of damage ensured and am pursuing options internally to offset this if possible. I would be very happy to provide the GLA with support required as you move to mitigate the damage to what I believe is a world leading air pollution policy.
• 
  From: Shirley Rodriguez
  Sent: Wednesday November 17 2021 09:45
  To: Frank Kelly
  Thanks for your offer of support which is much appreciated.
  I do appreciate that you don’t want to have a ‘fight’ with another part of Imperial but the times and now REDACTED have also picked REDACTED report up and repeating the mistake.
  Is there anything you’d be happy to put on the record now?
• 
  From: Frank Kelly
  Sent: Wednesday November 17 2021 10:28
  To: Shirley Rodrigues
  How about:
  The actions undertaken by the Mayor’s office to address London’s air pollution challenge, including the introduction of the ultra low emission zone, collectively are providing a major benefit to the health of London’s through the ongoing improvements in air quality across the city In this respect London leads where others need to follow.
• 
  From: Shirley Rodriguez
  Sent: Wednesday November 17 2021 11:16
  To: Frank Kelly
  Thanks Frank. That is really helpful. Could I suggest an amend?
  The actions undertaken by the Mayor’s office to address London’s air pollution challenge, including the introduction of the ultra low emission zone, collectively have dramatically reduced air pollution in London and are providing a major benefit to the health of London’s through the ongoing improvements in air quality across the city In this respect London leads where others need to follow.
  Would you be able tweet and even write to the Times? Are you ok if Sadiq is asked about the study to quote you saying this?
• 
  From: Frank Kelly
  Sent: Wednesday November 17 2021 11:19
  To: Shirley Rodrigues
  Amendments accepted. Happy to send to REDACTED at the Times - OK? Happy for Sadiq to quote.

Cllr Paul Osborn, the leader of Harrow Council, which is resisting the Ulez expansion, said: “These dodgy emails raise important questions about the scientific basis for extending the Ulez. I have long believed that this expansion will have a very limited impact on air pollution but comes at a massive cost to the poorest and most vulnerable motorists.”
The emails also show that, on Feb 14 this year, the Greater London Authority (GLA) asked Prof Kelly to complain about a Telegraph article reporting on the uncertainty of air pollution death figures widely cited by Mr Khan, based on Prof Kelly’s research.
The GLA offered to set up a “friendly interview” for him with “very supportive” David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham.
At the time, Prof Kelly warned that “Imperial’s press office is not keen for us to put a direct contradiction to the Telegraph article”, but said that “as always, I’m happy to fight back”. He also asked the Mayor’s office to provide him with “a form of words” with which he could challenge the article.

Re: Urgent - response to Telegraph article​

• 
  From: REDACTED Greater London Authority
  Sent: February 13 2023 14:33
  To: Frank Kelly
  CC: Shirley Rodrigues
  Re: Urgent - response to Telegraph article
  Hi Frank,
  You’ll have no doubt seen the attached article in today’s Telegraph. We’re wondering if you will be writing to the Telegraph to challenge some of the misunderstandings in the article?
• 
  From: Frank Kelly
  Sent: February 14 2023 08:16
  To: Shirley Rodrigues
  Apparently Imperial’s press office is not keen for us to put a direct contradiction to the Telegraph article but as always I’m happy to fight back.
  Do you have a favoured form of words that you were thinking for me to use?
• 
  From: REDACTED Greater London Authority
  Sent: February 13 2023 09:17
  To: Frank Kelly
  CC: Shirley Rodrigues
  Thanks so much Frank.
  I’ll come back with a form of words in a moment, but our press office has just asked would you be happy to go on David Lammy’s show between sometime between 10-1pm today to talk about air quality and Ulez more generally? David L is very supportive so it would be a friendly interview.
• 
  From: Frank Kelly
  Sent: February 14 2023 09:20
  To: Shirley Rodrigues
  Yes - I have a meeting 10:00 - 11:00, ok after that.

Cllr Baroness O’Neill of Bexley added: “These findings confirm everything we knew, in that the data used to build the case for extending Ulez was flawed. Extending Ulez has always been more about the Mayor of London’s drive for income generation than improving air quality for Bexley residents.”
On April 17 , Prof Kelly admitted on the Evening Standard’s The Leader podcast that his research, paid for by the Mayor, would give Mr Khan “useful ammunition” to promote his Ulez expansion.
On June 6 , Prof Kelly wrote to Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, alleging that politicians were “not believing the science” on air pollution. Six of the signatories were part of the Imperial team, but they did not disclose that they were being funded by the Mayor’s office.
A spokesman for Mr Khan said: “It is right – and standard practice across government – that we commission experts to carry out research to inform the work we do.
“Frank Kelly and the Environmental Research Group at Imperial are some of the world-leading academic institutions looking at air quality. It is normal and proper to work with these experts to ensure our policies are as effective as possible at dealing with issues such as the high number of deaths – up to 4,000 a year – linked to toxic air in London every year.
“The Ulez analysis from the engineering department at Imperial only paints a partial picture, not accounting for the full lifetime impact of the scheme and only focusing on its immediate impact around its launch. It is commonplace for academic experts to disagree with how other academic studies are interpreted, as was the case here.”
The Telegraph has approached Imperial College for comment.

Khan tried to ‘silence’ scientists who questioned Ulez claims, emails show

Correspondence shows deputy ‘really disappointed’ that Imperial College publicised findings questioning effectiveness of scheme

www.telegraph.co.uk

*Edited just to apologise for the slightly messy cut and paste, the format of the original article makes it difficult!

 

[jon0844]

That's the sort of message I get from Robert Llewellyn's 'Fully Charged' blogs, but I hadn't seen anything specifically about improving battery life and performance of Leafs with a battery management makeover.

Robert first brought my attention to this, as he went abroad with a Leaf to get an upgrade.

But there are other people talking about mods for the Leaf from the the time they came with new battery choices.

I fully expect as time goes on, and cars offer multiple battery choices, there will be a market for after market mods, or battery swapouts. Probably motor upgrades and other mods that are currently done by petrol heads.

This will of course rely on the industry not being able to lock everything down as it would like to do, in fact just as many companies would like to do (Apple, I'm looking at you, but also John Deere and others!).

 

[fourtytwo]

I will black all ULEZ towns/cities on principle. If they want to be anti-motorist they can do without my business (in any shape or form) completely as I am sure they have other woke issues that I have no wish to be involved with or implicitly support. If my bank is reading this, try me and I will add you to my blacklist as well!

 

[stuu]

I will black all ULEZ towns/cities on principle. If they want to be anti-motorist they can do without my business (in any shape or form) completely as I am sure they have other woke issues that I have no wish to be involved with or implicitly support. If my bank is reading this, try me and I will add you to my blacklist as well!

Clean air is so woke

 

[deltic]

I will black all ULEZ towns/cities on principle. If they want to be anti-motorist they can do without my business (in any shape or form) completely as I am sure they have other woke issues that I have no wish to be involved with or implicitly support. If my bank is reading this, try me and I will add you to my blacklist as well!

To make life easier for you here is a link to all c320 European towns/cities that have some form of clean air zones - https://urbanaccessregulations.eu/userhome/map

The congestion charge is a nuisance, but it is what it is.

However, that and ULEZ would cost £27.50 per visit, or up to £137.50 a month.

I can't justify spending four figures per year for the privilege of driving an old Ford Focus into central London.

I think central London will be delighted you will no longer be driving your old Ford Focus in.

 

[Herefordian]

I think central London will be delighted you will no longer be driving your old Ford Focus in.

It's alright, I drive my 2.5 litre Toyota Camry in central London instead.

It's a really nice car actually. Very relaxing motorway cruiser.

It's also a hybrid so TfL and the Mayor of London don't shout at me.

 

[AM9]

Clean air is so woke

Well it's good to know that Norwich has embarked on the clean up job in Norfolks largest settlement. So has Cambridge and Ipswich. So eventually polluting vehicles will able to top up with red diesel so that can potter around the turnip fields.

 

[bramling]

ULEZ is justa measure on the route to cleaning up the environment, - other restrictions/penalty charges will be available

London / Khan need to be careful on this one, as pee off people in the Home Counties too much and many may well decide to work elsewhere. Seemingly good luck finding suitable replacements from London’s population.

 

[Peter Sarf]

London / Khan need to be careful on this one, as pee off people in the Home Counties too much and many may well decide to work elsewhere. Seemingly good luck finding suitable replacements from London’s population.

I have wondered whether people might vote with their feet so to speak. It could be an economic shock for London. A levelling up perhaps. Wait to see if the lowly paid underlings stop propping up the essential services in London by just not bothering to work in London. My ire is because this could have been planned better over a longer time - as usual ordinary people who work have to pay for the shortsighted-ness. For me it is another reason to leave London/Croydon as it is becoming unbearable. But then thinking about it and actually doing it are two different things !. I would say the anti-social behaviour nature of Croydon is the biggest driver for me, the collapse of shops (compared to Cardiff) just makes me despair but the ULEZ makes me feel alienated. To me the air quality is not what I worry about.

 

[jon81uk]

London / Khan need to be careful on this one, as pee off people in the Home Counties too much and many may well decide to work elsewhere. Seemingly good luck finding suitable replacements from London’s population.

I expect if people who own cars could find a job that offered similar pay and met their skills more locally then they would take it anyway. Most people doing office work in central London will be using trains and many have already moved to work from home (I for example travel in by train two days a week and work three from home). The move away from office work five days a week in central London has already taken place in the last three years following the pandemic causing the shift to home working. ULEZ won't make any difference to that as most of those workers were travelling by train anyway.

Maybe it will change some delivery drivers and skilled workers such as plumbers, but I expect many will be employed by a larger company who provide the vans anyway. The ones who will potentially lose out are people who drive for Evri and Uber or other similar "independent contractors" who are responsible for their own vehicle, and they only work in their own suburbs anyway, its not really travelling into London from the Home Counties, more they live inside the M25 and work inside the M25. A majority of Uber drivers already have hybrid vehicles so won't affect them anyway.

 

[deltic]

I have wondered whether people might vote with their feet so to speak. It could be an economic shock for London. A levelling up perhaps. Wait to see if the lowly paid underlings stop propping up the essential services in London by just not bothering to work in London. My ire is because this could have been planned better over a longer time - as usual ordinary people who work have to pay for the shortsighted-ness. For me it is another reason to leave London/Croydon as it is becoming unbearable. But then thinking about it and actually doing it are two different things !. I would say the anti-social behaviour nature of Croydon is the biggest driver for me, the collapse of shops (compared to Cardiff) just makes me despair but the ULEZ makes me feel alienated. To me the air quality is not what I worry about.

The economic cost to London of ULEZ is tiny compared to the size of its economy - in a year's time it will be forgotten about.

 

[AM9]

London / Khan need to be careful on this one, as pee off people in the Home Counties too much and many may well decide to work elsewhere. Seemingly good luck finding suitable replacements from London’s population.

I think that is a misunderstanding of the actual situation. We won't of course know what effect it has had on the electorate in next year's Mayoral election, but recent reports have said that a majority of those living in the extended ULEZ zone are supportive of the scherme and its benefits. Once the rebel Conservative LAs failed in their court action, the whole thing became a done deal. The latest tweak of the scrapping allowance to 'all Londoners', (read voters), will sweep up most of the noisy objectors.
I suspect that it is a non-event for the majority of those living outside the GLA, probably even with those who travel to work within it. The media seems to pick up on every report of a few disgruntled people who think that their pollution doesn't matter, and of course those who don't have a problem with the anti-pollution measures are hardly going to waste their time pushing to the front of the queue to moan about it. It's another case of a silent majority being in favour of the changes.
As @deltic says above, in a year's time it will all be forgotten, so if the objectors that absolutely need a drive into the zone (and of course pay for the right) give up their jobs, then it will probably take a large part of the next 12 months to complete their transition into an equivalent job.
I doubt that the London economy will even feel the difference that the extended ULEZ makes, - even during the current rail and bus disputes' industrial action impac. A few might see this a
proxy for bashing Sadiq Khan, but that's down in the noise.

 

[renegademaster]

I think that is a misunderstanding of the actual situation. We won't of course know what effect it has had on the electorate in next year's Mayoral election, but recent reports have said that a majority of those living in the extended ULEZ zone are supportive of the scherme and its benefits. Once the rebel Conservative LAs failed in their court action, the whole thing became a done deal. The latest tweak of the scrapping allowance to 'all Londoners', (read voters), will sweep up most of the noisy objectors.
I suspect that it is a non-event for the majority of those living outside the GLA, probably even with those who travel to work within it. The media seems to pick up on every report of a few disgruntled people who think that their pollution doesn't matter, and of course those who don't have a problem with the anti-pollution measures are hardly going to waste their time pushing to the front of the queue to moan about it. It's another case of a silent majority being in favour of the changes.
As @deltic says above, in a year's time it will all be forgotten, so if the objectors that absolutely need a drive into the zone (and of course pay for the right) give up their jobs, then it will probably take a large part of the next 12 months to complete their transition into an equivalent job.
I doubt that the London economy will even feel the difference that the extended ULEZ makes, - even during the current rail and bus disputes' industrial action impac. A few might see this a
proxy for bashing Sadiq Khan, but that's down in the noise.

I think that biggest impact probably is that every tradesman call out will get £15 more expensive and Amazon might find a small bit harder to find drivers.

While they won't be a substantial number enough to make an impact, theirs still quite a lot of people, with not that much money, who fell for the Brown-Cameron push towards Diesel, now stuck with a hefty ULEZ or replacement car bill. Even if it's a small amount, I don't think that means that they are undeserving of empathy and think they should be thrown the wolves(as the people in this thread seem to think, they all racist gammon who deserve it anyway).