Diesel Being Burned in Court of U.K. Public Opinion

LONDON – Adverse publicity and concerns over nitrogen-oxide and particulate emissions are steering U.K. consumers away from diesel cars.

A new study suggests almost two-thirds of motorists are turning their attention to alternative-fuel powertrains.

The research by new- and used-vehicle review website Carbuyer.co.uk shows 61% of respondents have been put off from buying a diesel car while 33% say they’re unaffected by the negative stories and 6% say they are not aware of any diesel-related news.

The website also points to Google search trends that reveal a 127% increase in consumers looking for hybrid cars in the first three months of 2017 compared with the same period last year. In comparison, searches for diesel cars have grown just 9%.

Carbuyer’s findings echo a trend highlighted by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showing diesel sales were down 9.2% in February compared with same-month 2016. Sales of alternative-fuel vehicles such as hybrids and battery-powered cars were up 48.9% over the same period.

Recent months have seen increased focus on diesel in the media including diesel-car owners being charged more to park in certain parts of London and the capital’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, proposing a diesel scrappage scheme.

“Our poll and the SMMT’s sales data both suggest diesel’s unpopularity could well grow in the coming months,” Carbuyer Editor Stuart Milne says. “While diesel can still be a cost-effective choice for high-mileage motorists and those running larger cars, we regularly advise buyers that modern (gasoline), hybrid and plug-in vehicles can be a better option for shorter trips and urban motoring in particular.”

“There’s no immediate prospect of a diesel ban, diesel tax or diesel-scrappage scheme in the U.K.,” he says, “but we’ll continue to follow this story closely.”

Diesel cars surged from comprising about 10% of the U.K.’s new-car market in the 1990s to nearly 50% today, due in part to tax incentives and the perception of diesel as being less environmentally harmful than gasoline.

While diesel engines are seen as better for the planet in terms of carbon-dioxide emissions, they are being blamed for the bulk of nearly 10,000 Londoners’ deaths each year connected to air pollution from high NOx and particulate emissions.

Tightening regulations also are increasing the price of new diesel cars, making them more expensive to buy and run with the addition of the urea additive AdBlue to reduce emissions.