Used diesel sales fall 40% while demand for EVs surges
While the numbers of electric vehicles (EVs) coming onto the second-hand market are rising fast amid strong demand – official data shows sales of used EVs rose by 56.4% in the third quarter of last year – diesels’ market share has fallen by as much as 40% in a year, analysis by AA Cars, the AA’s used car website, has revealed.
Searches for EVs on the AA Cars platform have been growing steadily year after year, increasing 47 times (4,623%) since 2015.
Meanwhile, the diesel decline is sharpest in the Essex town of Harlow. Nearly half (47.8%) of the used cars listed for sale there in 2020 were diesels. But this proportion shrank to 28.8% in 2021 — a decline of 40%.
Diesels’ market share is smallest in Northampton. Diesel vehicles made up barely a quarter (27.7%) of the town’s used car market in 2021, falling from 42.8% in 2020 — the second biggest decline in the past year.
Diesel cars have become steadily less popular following the introduction of Clean Air Zones and additional taxation for high-polluting vehicles. In 2021 diesels accounted for just 8.2% of new car sales, with their market share halving compared to its 2020 level.
Sales of new diesel and petrol cars will be banned from 2030, and some drivers have already begun shifting to greener vehicles.
Searches for EVs on the AA Cars platform have been growing steadily year after year, increasing 47 times (4,623%) since 2015.
AA Cars’ analysis of 40 UK towns and cities found that only Glasgow, Luton, Mansfield and Preston have seen an increase in the proportion of used diesels on sale.
Warrington in Cheshire had the highest proportion of diesel cars in its second-hand showrooms, with diesels accounting for nearly three out of five (57.7%) of used cars for sale. Diesels’ market share in the town fell by just 1% between 2020 and 2021.
The fall in the proportion of used diesels for sale coincides with drivers’ waning appetite for diesel. The share of searches for diesel cars on the AA Cars site fell by 8.7% in 2021 compared to the previous year, and by 53.5% compared to five years ago. In 2016, diesel was a more popular fuel type than petrol.
James Fairclough, CEO of AA Cars, said: “Drivers’ tastes and priorities are changing rapidly, and this is reshaping the used car market.
“Diesels have long been seen as robust, reliable and more fuel efficient than their petrol rivals. But the introduction of Clean Air Zones and higher taxes on the most polluting models have steadily made diesels more expensive to run. In response, sales of new diesels nearly halved between 2020 and 2021.
“With fewer new diesels entering service, over time the supply of used diesels for sale will wane. This is already happening in some areas, with our analysis pinpointing one town where used diesels’ market share has fallen by 40% in a year as buyers and dealers focus on greener alternatives.
“While the sale of new diesel and petrol cars will be banned in just nine years’ time, the large number of diesels still on the road means they’ll play an important role in the used market for some time yet.
“Our data suggests diesels have plenty of road left still to run, but that the direction of travel for diesels is clear; the used car market will increasingly focus on meeting drivers’ surging demand for hybrid and EV vehicles.
“We are seeing many diesel drivers decide to switch to an EV when the time comes to change their car. Many are trying out EVs for the first time by leasing a vehicle, such as through the AA Smart Lease, which gives them the chance to try out an electric car without the long-term commitment that comes with buying one outright.”
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