Skip advert
Advertisement

Love for diesels exhausted by emissions scandals

Exclusive survey finds negative media coverage has swayed 61% of consumers away from diesel cars

A survey by Carbuyer has found reports on the subject of diesel emissions have put almost two-thirds of consumers off the idea of a diesel car.

The exclusive survey, which ran on Carbuyer.co.uk and social media, was answered by over 1,100 people. Of those, 61% said they had been put off buying a diesel car, 33% said they’d been unaffected by negative stories while 6% weren’t aware of any news.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Our research tallies with figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showing diesel sales down 9.2% in February 2017 compared with February 2016. Sales of alternative-fuel vehicles such as hybrids and battery-powered cars, meanwhile, were up 48.9% over the same period.

The extra fuel efficiency offered by diesel engines means they’re likely to remain firm favourites for long-distance drivers and company car customers for the foreseeable future though. Similarly, the drive towards electric and hybrid cars shows both consumers and the automotive industry are embracing alternative solutions.

Ever since the Volkswagen emissions scandal, or ‘dieselgate’ broke in 2014, however, barely a day has passed without a fresh story or piece of research on the subject of diesel emissions. We’ve previously reported that diesel owners in parts of London are being charged extra to park their cars and that the capital’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, has proposed a diesel scrappage scheme; we’ve also considered the broader future of diesel in the UK.

Diesel exhaust fumes are recognised as posing a significant threat to human health, linked to everything from cancer and heart problems, to lung conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. A 2016 study by the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, meanwhile, found 40,000 early deaths in the UK are due to air pollution, every year. So how did diesel cars surge from making up around 10% of the new car market in the nineties to around 50% today?

Well, diesel was once seen as something of an environmental saviour: when the UK signed up to the climate-change-tackling Kyoto Protocol in 1998, it committed, along with a number of other countries, to reduce CO2 levels. Diesel engines emit relatively small amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) compared to their petrol counterparts and a CO2-based road-tax system was introduced in 2001 to boost sales – although this is now being superseded by another new system.

But while diesel engines are clean with regard to the amount of CO2 they produce, they’re more polluting than petrol engines in other ways, emitting relatively high levels of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter – essentially microscopic pieces of soot.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe: details and first drive of the sleek executive four-door
BMW M235 Gran Coupe front quarter
News
26 Nov 2024

New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe: details and first drive of the sleek executive four-door

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s Black Friday offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
29 Nov 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s Black Friday offers

2025 Toyota Yaris announced with minor upgrades
2025 Toyota Yaris front quarter
News
29 Nov 2024

2025 Toyota Yaris announced with minor upgrades

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
21 Oct 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps
Charging station
Tips and advice
23 Jul 2024

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
Best electric cars
Best cars
16 May 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024