ULEZ deadline prompts car owners to sell older 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 listing non-ULEZ-compliant cars on its platform has jumped to 30% in July, up from 20% in November 2022 when the expansion was announced.

This increase in listings 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, noted that car buyers outside major metropolitan areas are looking for good quality used cars that don't need to be ULEZ-compliant. She mentioned that there is still high demand for non-compliant cars in other parts of the UK.

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 stated that many drivers are currently confused about whether their cars would incur charges under the new ULEZ expansion. As more people realize the increased 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 surrounding the ULEZ scheme, carwow's research found that there is broad support for the zones. 40% of Londoners surveyed supported the ULEZ and other low emission zones, compared to 31% who opposed them. More than half of the respondents agreed that the ULEZ expansion and other new low emission zones are effective measures.

FutureCar Staff