ULEZ deadline prompts car owners to sell old vehicles

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 planned expansion of the ULEZ scheme was announced.

The online marketplace suggests 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, explains that car buyers outside major metropolitan areas are actively looking for good quality used cars that don't need to be ULEZ-compliant. She notes that there is still a high demand for non-compliant cars in other parts of the UK, especially those with full service history photos.

Foote believes that the trend of selling non-compliant cars will continue to grow as more consumers become aware of the implications of the ULEZ changes. She mentions that many drivers are currently confused about whether their cars will incur charges under the new ULEZ expansion. As more people realize the increase in ownership costs or face fines from September onwards, the supply and demand for affected cars in the capital are likely to shift.

Despite the confusion surrounding the ULEZ scheme, carwow's research shows that there is broad support for the zones. 40% of Londoners support the ULEZ and other new low emission zones, while only 31% oppose them. Additionally, more than half (56%) of Londoners surveyed believe that the ULEZ expansion and other low emission zones are effective measures.

FutureCar Staff