End of Vehicle Life Directive

Car owners are able to have their vehicles scrapped without charge under a new government scheme, which came into force on January 1st 2007. If a vehicle is more than 30 miles from the nearest facility in the manufacturer’s network, it will be eligible for collection by either of the two service providers, free of charge.

In accordance with the End of Life Vehicle regulations 2005, vehicles registered after July 1st 2002, which are complete and do not contain additional waste will qualify for free-take-back when delivered to a vehicle manufacturer approved authorised treatment facility.

A complete vehicle is one, which contains its essential components, in particular, but not limited to, the engine, coachwork, transmission, catalytic converter (if fitted) and wheels.

Authorised treatments (or AFTs) are sites that have been licensed by the Environment Agency in England and Wales, to de-pollute end of life vehicles to standards set by DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). Only these sites are permitted to issue last owners with a DVLA Certificate of Destruction. A Certification of Destruction (CoD) is issued by the DVLA to prove that a vehicle has been scrapped in a lawful and environmentally sound manner and will enable deregistration of the vehicle from the DVLA database. Without this certificate last owners may be subject to fines under new continued licensing regulations.

Motor manufacturers are responsible for providing last owners of end of life vehicles with an accessible free take-back network for qualifying vehicles. The regulations apply to end of life vehicles, which are in class M1, N1, and three wheeled vehicles, i.e. passenger vehicles with 9 seats or less with a revenue weight less than 3,500kg, vans with a revenue weight less than 3,500kg and 3-wheeled vehicles. Motorbikes (including motorbike-based tricycles) and passenger vehicles with revenue weight over 3,500kg or those that have more than 9 seats are not covered by the regulations.

Manufacturers of the vast majority of vehicles, plus recently extinct manufacturers such as Rover and MG, have made their network arrangements with one of the two service providers, Autogreen and Cartakeback.

Contact www.autogreen.org (Opens new window to external site) for BMW, Daihatsu, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daewoo, Dodge, Ferrari, Honda, Isuzu, Jeep, Maserati, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi Canter, Porsche, Saab, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota/Lexus and Vauxhall.

Contact www.cartakeback.com (Opens new window to external site) for Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Aston Martin, Audi, Austin, Bentley, Bugati, Citroen, Dacia, DAF, Datsun, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Hillman, Humber, Hyundai, Iveco, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lancia, Land Rover, LDV, Leyland DAF, Lotus, Matra, Mazda, MG, MG X-Power, Mitsubishi, Morris, Nissan, Perodua, Peugeot, Proton, Renault, Renault Trucks, Riley, Rover, Seat, Simca, Singer, Skoda, Sunbeam, Talbot, Tat, Tatra, Triumph, Volkswagen, Volkswagen commercial, Volvo and Wolseley.

Alvis, Lada or Wartburg at present can be disposed of through either of the service providers.

For further details, car owners should contact either autogreen, cartakeback or their local main car dealers.