Third of drivers think diesel will outlive ban

Diesel vehicles have been hit with high taxes, banned from some cities and demonised as an environmental hazard. There is also the looming 2040 ban on diesel models.

However, more than a third of drivers in Leeds believe that the black pump is here to stay and that the fuel type will outlive the deadline.

New research from independent car buying site carwow also reveals that motorists believe diesel has been unfairly singled out for criticism, with 53 per cent feeling the ‘dieselgate’ fallout over the past two years has been over the top.

While 79 per cent of those surveyed feel we need to do more to reduce our emissions, many drivers suggest that the responsibility shouldn’t sit with them, with only 43 per cent considering a switch to an electric or hybrid vehicle within the next two years.

Asked if they think diesel models will disappear from the roads entirely, 10 per cent of Leeds drivers said ‘no’, while one in ten drivers admit their next car is likely to be a diesel, regardless of impending deadlines. A further quarter believe that alternatively-fuelled vehicles will not become commonplace in their lifetime.

Alex Rose, carwow’s international trading director, said “Any assumption that diesel will trickle to zero is presumptuous - we don’t believe this will happen - at least not in the foreseeable future. The fear factor will pass. The uncertainty - powered by a lack of Government clarity - will dissipate as the reality is that the current generation of diesel cars are very clean. We are seeing that pragmatism is slowly returning - drivers are taking their own driving needs into consideration and the reality is that for some drivers, a new lesser-polluting diesel, is the best option. For the past three months, interest in diesel has been steady at 32 per cent of total configurations and accounted for 25 per cent of purchases.”