The number of diesel cars owned by UK companies has dropped 17.6% in the last year, according to new Department for Transport (DfT) data.  

Record pump prices and ‘demonisation’ by councils have further forced the demise of the diesel car

The newly released figures show the total of diesel company cars fell from 1.006 million a year ago to 829,000 in the first quarter of this year.  

Meanwhile, the number of privately owned diesel cars has fallen from 11.143 million to 10.952 million in the same period; a fall of 1.7%.  

The fall has been particularly pronounced in inner London, where private diesel car numbers have plummeted 24.8% – from 155,274 to 116,796 – due to the Ultra Low Emission Zone charges.   

But even elsewhere, record pump prices and ‘demonisation’ by councils have further forced the demise of the diesel car.  

“Today’s official vehicle licensing statistics signal further how what was once the ‘dash for diesel’ has become the demise of the diesel car,” said Jack Cousens, the AA’s head of roads policy.   

“Not so long ago, car owners were encouraged to buy diesel models to cut CO2 emissions and reduce their costs through diesel’s better fuel efficiency. Many older car owners bought one for what they thought would be their last car in retirement.   

“They now find themselves caught in the pincer of record pump prices that are 8p dearer than petrol and the demonisation of the fuel through city access charges and parking costs that penalise these cars. Very often, this campaign against diesel is carried out by the very councils that encouraged their take-up through CO2-related residents car parking permit charges.”  

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) further underscores diesel’s fall from grace; in the first half of this year, sales of new diesel cars were less than half of those for fully battery-powered cars. Between January and June, there were 115,249 new Battery Electric Vehicles registered compared to 46,028 new diesel cars, according to the SMMT stats.