Nearly half of all diesel owners will stay with oil burners for their next car, study suggests
Research also found that used prices are holding strong, despite debate about health concerns
Almost half of diesel owners will stay loyal to the fuel for their next car, a new study suggests.
Despite a lot of bad publicity surrounding diesel emissions, used car buyers are not being put off buying cars powered by the fuel, with research also showing that used diesel car prices are actually on the rise.
Used car marketplace Auto Trader analysed its sales data combined with the opinions of about 13,000 motorists to show that used diesel car sales increased by six per cent year-on-year last month. Prices of diesel cars also increased by two per cent.
It asked people selling on their diesel cars whether they intended to buy another diesel once it had sold, and 47 per cent said they would.
Nathan Coe, Auto Trader’s chief operating officer, said the debate around diesel was only to be expected in a time of “big change” in the car industry.
He added: “It might be tempting to focus on the negatives during periods of such change, but it’s crucial that the centre of the debate focuses on clearly landing the benefits and value of this change to motorists, rather than further energising a narrative that stigmatises cars and threatens to penalise motorists.”
Despite used diesel car sales holding strong, the same can’t be said of the new car market. Official data from industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders shows that the number of new diesels sold between January and August was down by more than 11 per cent on last year.
Meanwhile, alternatively fuelled vehicles, such as electric cars and hybrids, have seen a 33 per cent increase in sales over the same period.
