Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders, has voiced concerns that the ULEZ expansion, which comes into force on 29 August, could not have come at a worse time, with the construction industry already being hit by inflation and the rising cost of living.

He said: "While addressing air quality is imperative, the ULEZ expansion feels like a tax rather than a strategic mission to improve the health of Londoners. Some older vehicles over 3.5 tonnes may be liable for more than £300 a day and others under that weight up to £127.50."

Speaking on Fix Radio, Mayor Sadiq Khan urged people to support the ULEZ expansion to avoid losing days from work due to ill health related to air quality. He also revealed that the van scrappage scheme has been increased to £7,000 – or £9,500 for those choosing an electric vehicle. The retrofit grant now stands at £6,000.

Retrofitting, which is run by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme, will not cover pre-Euro 6 diesel vehicles, pre-Euro 4 vehicles or LPG.

When searching for ULEZ compliant vehicles within 60 miles of the city on Autotrader's website, it was discovered that the cheapest small form EV van was listed at £4,400 with a range of just 60 miles.