Would YOU buy a diesel car again? Half of drivers admit they’ll ditch their cars over toxic tax threat
BRIT buyers are ready to ditch diesels over fears they'll be slapped with extra taxes, according to a survey.
Diesels currently account for around 40 per cent of UK cars but just a quarter plan to make their next purchase a diesel.
And more than half of drivers polled by Autocar magazine said they'd choose petrol, hybrid or electric cars instead.
Six out of 10 of these buyers are expected to switch to petrol while a sixth will consider plug-ins.
The results come as diesel continues to take a battering almost two years on from the VW Dieselgate scandal.
Diesel owners face extra parking charges in London and increased rates for the congestion charge.
Pay-per-mile road pricing has even been proposed to cut diesel journeys even more.
Other major cities are expected to bring in pollution zones, too, and the threat of a diesel scrappage scheme from the government is still looming.
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The moves are in a bid to cut the reported 40,000 premature deaths a year that come from air pollution.
The Autocar survey revealed these emissions and pollution worries are putting people off.
The diesel attack has also caused cars to plummet in price, with owners losing out on thousands of pounds when trying to shift their older models.
It's estimated the Brits have lost £35billion in depreciation with owners of pre-2008 models hit hardest.
And industry figures show diesel registrations have already fallen by 20 per cent this year.
Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw said: "These findings are a testament to the public battering diesel has taken over the last few years.
SHOULD YOU BUY A DIESEL?
There are pros and cons to both petrol, diesel and electric cars. So here's a checklist you should consider when buying your next car:
- Do think about the kind of driving you do. Diesels, even older models, are fine if you don’t drive in high-pollution areas.
- Do consider an electric or hybrid if you have a two-car family fleet. Your second car can be a diesel. You may find your EV’s smoothness makes it your first choice.
- Do spread the word that better times are imminent for diesels, brought by stringent standards and a better testing process.
- Don't get the idea that criticism of diesel cars is all wrong. There are at least seven levels of car diesel ‘cleanliness’. Only recent versions can truthfully be termed clean.
- Don't abandon making your next car a modern diesel, though. Diesel sales are helping to deliver vital targets for lowering CO2 and reducing global warning.
- Don't accept assertions that steps already taken to cut toxic emissions and CO2 have not worked. There are figures to show they have. But there’s much more to do.
"We’ve already seen figures showing a diesel sales slowdown but what is clear from this survey is that there will be a major shift towards petrol, hybrid and electric cars.
"While some vilification of diesel is justified, there is a major gulf between the perception and the reality.
"It is concerning that the majority of buyers now believe diesel is a wholly dirty fuel, pumping out the most CO2 and NOx into the atmosphere.
"The reality of modern Euro 6 diesels is very different."