Offloading quality old cars due to approaching ULEZ deadline

author: FutureCar Staff    

London motorists are rushing to sell their non-compliant vehicles ahead of the expansion of London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) on August 29. According to new data from carwow, the number of Londoners listing non-ULEZ-compliant cars on its platform has jumped to 30% in July, up from 20% in November 2022 when the ULEZ expansion was announced.

carwow, an online marketplace, believes this increase indicates a rush to sell non-compliant vehicles before the deadline. A recent poll conducted by carwow revealed that 27% of their users were selling their cars specifically due to ULEZ.

Sally Foote, carwow's UK managing director, stated that outside major metropolitan areas, where the ULEZ schemes are less likely to be implemented, car buyers are actively searching for good quality used cars that do not need to be ULEZ-compliant. Foote also mentioned that there is still high demand for non-compliant cars in other parts of the UK, especially those with full service history photos.

Foote believes that as more consumers become aware of the implications of the ULEZ changes, the trend of selling non-compliant vehicles will continue to accelerate. A recent survey conducted by carwow found that 64% of Londoners are unsure if their cars would incur charges under the new ULEZ expansion. Foote concludes that as more people realize the impending increase in ownership costs or face fines starting in September, there will likely be a shift in supply and demand for affected cars across the capital.

Despite some confusion surrounding the ULEZ scheme, carwow's research found that 40% of Londoners support the zones, while only 31% oppose them. More than half (56%) of the surveyed Londoners agreed that the ULEZ expansion and other new low emission zones are effective measures.

FutureCar Staff