Decline of Diesel Becomes Apparent in Used Car Sales Figures

The writing has been on the wall for diesel cars for a few years now - since the infamous dieselgate scandal swept the industry - but sales on the second-hand market have remained strong. Until now, that is. For the first time, online used car remarketing platform Autorola has reported a decline in demand for second-hand diesel vehicles. Over the course of 2022, diesel sales fell by a not-insignificant 15.1%. Gone are the days of diesel domination: last year, just one in four vehicles sold through the platform was so-powered.

Jumping ship
So, what are motorists buying instead? According to Autorola’s stats, petrol power is now by far and away Britain’s preference. Last year, sales increased by 28.9%, representing 64.9% of total sales. The biggest winners of 2022 though, perhaps unsurprisingly, were hybrid and electric cars. Sales of these lower-emission models shot up by 52.6% in the last 12 months, making up 8.9% of total sales. Although this figure sounds small, we can expect it to increase significantly in the coming years, in-line with new vehicle sales.

Offering further insight, Autorola UK’s group sales director, Jon Mitchell, added: “We are witnessing a shift in the type of stock we are selling, with diesels proving less popular and petrols and hybrids increasing in popularity.” Interestingly, he noted that hybrids are currently performing better than full EVs on the second-hand market: “Used EV demand and prices are falling during the current cost-of-living crisis, which is helping boost both petrol and hybrid sales,” he said.

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