Demand for used diesel cars falls by 25pc

Demand for used diesel cars has dropped by around 25 per cent since the Government announced an air quality crackdown, and rises in secondhand prices have dramatically slowed. Figures from Autotrader show the average year-on-year price increase for diesel used cars was just 1 per cent in July 2017. This compares to a rise of 7.7 per cent for petrol vehicles.

In November 2016, 71 per cent of car buyers selecting a fuel type when searching on Auto Trader chose diesel, compared to 26 per cent for petrol vehicles. By May 2017, diesel searches had dropped to 54 per cent, with petrol searches up to 43 per cent.