Offloading Quality Old Cars Due to Looming 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 uploading non-ULEZ-compliant cars on its platform has jumped to 30% of all listings in July. This is up from 20% in November 2022 when the ULEZ expansion was announced.

carwow, an online marketplace, believes that this increase indicates a rush to sell non-compliant vehicles before the deadline. A recent poll conducted by carwow revealed that 27% of its users were selling their cars specifically due to ULEZ. Sally Foote, carwow's UK managing director, stated that car buyers outside major metropolitan areas are actively looking for good quality used cars that do not need to be ULEZ-compliant. She also mentioned that there is still high demand for non-compliant cars in other parts of the UK.

Sally Foote predicts that this trend will continue to gain momentum as more consumers become aware of the implications of the ULEZ changes. Many drivers are currently confused, with 64% of Londoners unsure if their cars would incur charges under the new ULEZ expansion. As more people realize the increase in ownership costs or face fines from September onwards, there is likely to be a shift in supply and demand for affected cars across the capital.

Despite the confusion, carwow's research found that there is broad support for the ULEZ schemes. 40% of Londoners supported the zones, while only 31% opposed them. More than half (56%) of Londoners surveyed agreed that the ULEZ expansion and other new low emission zones were effective measures.

FutureCar Staff