Volkswagen offers drivers £4,500 lifeline after Sadiq Khan's disastrous Ulez expansion

The amount being offered to drivers can be from £1,750, all the way up to £4,500 for drivers of the most polluting petrol and diesel vehicles.

Generally, petrol vehicles that were built after 2005 and meet Euro 4 standards will avoid the daily £12.50 Ulez charge.

To escape a daily fee for a diesel vehicle, they will need to be Euro 6, meaning they were generally built after 2015.

The Volkswagen cash discount is available to anyone in London’s 32 boroughs who qualifies for the Mayor’s scrappage scheme.

Anyone with a non-compliant vehicle within Greater London can scrap their car for a £2,000 grant from Sadiq Khan and Transport for London’s scrappage scheme.

Popular and multi-award-winning electric, petrol and diesel cars qualify for the offer, with Londoners encouraged to get involved.

As part of the scheme, drivers can receive a £1,750 cash discount on the classic Volkswagen Polo and T-Cross family SUV.

A £2,000 discount is available for the Volkswagen Taigo compact SUV, while a larger £2,500 grant can be used on a T-Roc and the new variant of the ID.3 electric car.

For those who prefer the original variant of the Volkswagen ID.3, they could receive £3,500 towards the price of the car.

Any drivers looking for the pricier Volkswagen ID.4 or ID.5 can redeem the offers worth £4,000 and £4,500 respectively.

The discounts can be used at any Volkswagen retailer in the UK until December 31, although motorists must be able to prove their eligibility for the Ulez scrappage scheme.

The Ulez scrappage scheme was expanded on August 21, just eight days before the Ulez was extended, and made every Londoner with a non-compliant car eligible for a £2,000 discount.

It was met with criticism from drivers in and around London for being too soon before the Ulez expansion and because many felt £2,000 was not enough to buy a compliant or electric vehicle.

The London Air Quality Network has warned that the capital will experience moderate air quality this week.

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While the general population can continue with their outdoor activities, those who are at risk of health issues should “consider reducing strenuous physical activity, particularly outdoors”.