Should I keep or sell my diesel car?

What is the position on emissions legislation? It's very confusing. Are some cities imposing/planning to impose local charges or bans? It's putting me off changing my car. I have a 2017 diesel Hyundai i30 and I'm not sure what to do.

Asked on 21 August 2020 by Christopher Ross

Answered by Georgia Petrie
It's a little bit confusing as lots is happening in regards to city bans and clean air zones - even more so with covid in the mix. In 2015, the Government ordered various major cities to establish Clean Air Zones (CAZs) - including Bath, Leeds, Oxford, Birmingham, Greater Manchester, and Sheffield. A full UK ban on petrols, diesels and even hybrids was originally set for 2040, but was brought forward to 2035 earlier this year too. Cities across the UK have planned to introduce Clean Air Zones (CAZs) but many have been delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Recently, Bristol and Leeds also announced that their CAZ plans are being reviewed to see if they're necessary as far less people are commuting these days - thus bringing pollution levels down right now.

Our view is that many drivers - those who do long-distance trips, tow frequently etc - are better off with a diesel car because they do better fuel economy and will save the right drivers money. So we expect diesel cars to stick around for a bit, despite the falling residual values and market share. However, many manufacturers have stopped selling, or plan to stop selling, diesel vehicles completely in the coming years. Therefore, my advice would be to consider if you need a diesel. If you cover long distances on a regular basis (15+ miles per journey at least) then I'd say keep your i30. If not, I'd advise swapping for a petrol, EV or hybrid depending on what would best suit you. In addition, if you plan to use it for a few more years and sell it on you'll likely find the value has plummeted. But if you've bought it to keep for a long time then the car is more use to you than selling/swapping it now would be.
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