11:12 pm, June 7, 2011
LONDONERS are more likely to buy petrol rather than diesel findings from a new survey suggest.
Buyers in London show a real lack of desire for diesel cars despite there being more diesel cars than petrols exempt from the congestion charge.
According to a new survey from ContractHireAndLeasing.com, just 18 per cent of people in the London area would opt for a diesel model when they next change their car, while 40 per cent would choose petrol.
This, despite there being significantly more diesel models that meet the sub-100g/km CO2 criteria and qualify for exemption to the London Congestion Charge under the new Greener Vehicle Discount scheme.
Nationally, the lure of diesel is much stronger with 25 per cent appreciating the high fuel efficiency and low emissions that diesel models typically offer.
Across all regions of Britain, Londoners showed the least interest in diesels, followed by people in the eastern region, of which only 22 per cent said they would choose diesel.
A distaste for diesels in London is contrasted by an interest in hybrids.
Nationally, ten per cent of respondents to the survey said they would choose a hybrid for their next car; rising to 15 per cent in London.
As hybrid cars proved to be more popular with Londoners than in any other region in Britain, it suggests that the old congestion charge exemption rules may still be prominent in people’s minds.
Under the old Alternative Fuel Vehicle Discount rules, all hybrid cars were automatically exempt from the charge, regardless of emission level while all diesel cars paid the charge.
Understanding how the new rules work could save motorists around £2000** annually.
‘Londoners should make sure they understand the new Greener Vehicle Discount works so that they can take advantage of exemption to the charge. Even if they don’t use their car very often within the charge zone very often, just by choosing a slightly different model, the savings could add up,’ says spokesperson for ContractHireAndLeasing.com, Richard Lawton.
‘Sub-100g/km CO2 cars typically have very strong fuel economy figures and as such are becoming ever more attractive to an ever wider audience of car buyers as fuel prices relentlessly rise and tax systems such as VED and company car tax create an incentive to choose these cars. Long-term we expect that Londoners in particular will be more likely to choose low emission, diesel cars.’
