30 May 2022 Concept Car
In 2014, 50% of UK drivers owned a diesel. Today, that percentage is struggling to remain above the 5% mark.
In the public eye, driving a diesel has gone from a respected, supposedly even “green” option to a major health hazard.
We could spend hours discussing this rapid decline of fortune. At some point, histories will be written about it. At the moment, however, it’s becoming increasingly clear: The end of the diesel has come for real.
How can we be so sure about that?
Further Reading:
The Essential Guide to Diesels
Only recently, Autocar reported that Vauxhall would no longer offer a diesel option for the Corsa. After 35 years and millions of diesels sold, that’s quite a remarkable decision.
And yet, this hardly registered as news anymore. Other brands have long taken the same step before Vauxhall’s. Already in 2020, Ford took the Fiesta Diesel from salesrooms. A year later, the Focus followed suite.
In sync with these developments, Seat and Volvo also removed diesel options for some of their models.
Why are manufacturers doing this? For one important reason:
America in the 1950s and 1960s loved big cars, the kind that were heavy and gobbled up petrol. Gas was cheap back then and there was nothing to be gained by offering “ecological” models. Simply put, no one would have bought them.
A lot has changed since then. Consumers today demand that cars are safe, easy to navigate in city traffic, functional and, above all, green.
This push towards eco friendly engines isn’t purely selfless. More efficient cars are less expensive to drive, after all. But it is certainly part of a switch in attitude: Most of us are aware how precarious the global environmental situation has become. And that we need to act more responsibly.
Driving a greener car is part of that change. And manufacturers are responding to it. It is revealing in this regard that Vauxhall stresses that it will become completely electric as soon as 2028 – two years ahead of schedule. A clear sign that it is showing off its green credentials.
Then again, all manufacturers have to do this.
Further Reading:
Will the VW ID.3 change the EV industry?
Electric cars are coming! The future of the UK car market
Drive an EV once – never ever go back?
It’s hard to believe, but only eight years from now, the UK will become an electric nation. Well, at least when it comes to the sale of new models. Some even speculate that just about every technological item will very soon be electric.
Even though electric cars are now a familiar sight, the thought still boggles the mind.
Originally, the the end of petrol and diesel models was scheduled for 2040. Eventually, however, the government brought this back to an even more ambitious 2030.
Car makers weren’t happy with this. But the added pressure has created a remarkable innovation boost. Today, EVs can cover long distances, are safe and largely reliable.
Now, we’re all just waiting for them to become more affordable.
Further reading:
EVs, the Lightyear One, range and the car that could drive forever
It is easy to wonder why some people are still buying diesels at all. Won’t these cars soon be worthless?
Not so fast.
The government plan is very precise about what will be possible and what won’t be. Although you can no longer buy new non-EV-models as of January 1st 2030, you will very much be able still to drive them.
Hybrid drivers can even relax a little longer. Although the government hasn’t as yet provided a 100% clear definition of what constitutes a hybrid, dealers can still sell these models until 2035.
For at least a decade or so, petrols and even diesels will still dominate the picture on UK roads.
And thanks to the current supply issues, these car types haven’t even come down in price as much as you’d expect. Since they’re more available than EVs and because there is as yet no meaningful used car market for electric cars, their popularity has even soared.
If you can get a biodiesel car, you can also further improve the ecological profile of your car.
Further Reading:
Biofuel & Biodiesel Pros & Cons: The Ultimate Report
We don’t sell electric vehicles. And you shouldn’t buy one!
It depends.
As EVs become more and more mainstream and go from being a niche to the most sold car type out there, we will soon be able to offer them in greater quantities. And it goes without saying that we will.
At the same time, EVs are not yet for everyone. For some, they may forever remain out of reach financially.
Many of our customers have faced financial difficulties in the past. Some still do. For them, an EV is simply not feasible right now.
If you can not afford an EV, a diesel is probably the worst option at your disposal. If it’s all you can afford, however, there is no reason right now not to buy one.
However, the closer the 2030 deadline comes, the more you should reconsider. The main issue will be diesel fuel availability at the pump: With diesels at their historic low in terms of popularity and the surge of EV charging stations, conventional gas stations are bound to disappear sooner or later.
That said, it is more than likely that getting petrol won’t be an issue.
At CCC, we have plenty of great used cars, many of which are excellent when it comes to their eco profile. They may not be an EV. But they are decidedly a great and perfectly legal, as well as futureproof option.
Talk to us now if you’re looking for a used car and financing. Give us a call at 0800 093 3385, write us a message via our contact form or simply drop by our Manchester showroom.
We look forward to helping you!
30 May 2022 Concept Car
