Rising fuel costs are driving a clear shift in the UK used vehicle market, as diesel values drop and motorists increasingly turn to hybrids.

Diesel values fell 0.6% at three years and 60,000 miles in September, latest figures from Solera Cap HPI show. Diesel has now been the weakest conventional fuel type for five months in a row. Petrol dropped 0.5% at the same benchmark, but plug-in hybrids actually recorded the biggest fall at 0.8%.

Contrasting with these downturns, hybrid values rose 0.5%, while battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were up 0.3%.

The drop in petrol and diesel values comes as the average price of a litre of diesel hits the  highest level in UK history at 199.18p.

Chris Plumb, head of current valuations at Solera Cap HPI, said: “Fuel prices are clearly influencing what people are prepared to buy. Diesel at around 195p a litre is difficult to ignore, particularly when it is so much more expensive than petrol. Dealers know that and are being more selective about the diesel cars they buy.”

Plumb noted that hybrids had a good month, and BEVs continue to settle down after several years of sharp value movements.

“A lot of used electric cars are now available at prices that make sense to buyers. Higher petrol and diesel prices only make that comparison more interesting.”

Overall, average used car values fell 0.3%, or just over £90, at three years and 60,000 miles. This followed a 0.9% fall the previous month.

Age and mileage had a bigger influence on values further down the market. One-year-old cars at 10,000 miles were down 0.2%, while five-year-old cars at 80,000 miles fell 0.8%.

Values for 10-year-old cars at 100,000 miles dropped 2%. Price also made a difference. Cars worth less than £5,000 fell 3.4%, and those between £5,000 and £10,000 were down 1.9%.

The BEV figures come despite a sharp increase in cars reaching the wholesale market. Disposal volumes so far this year are around 50% ahead of the same period in 2025 and have already passed the total for the whole of last year.

Plumb added: “There are far more used BEVs coming back into the market, but buyers are taking that extra stock. We haven’t seen the corresponding fall in values that might have been expected from such a large increase in supply.

“The tougher part of the market is older, higher-mileage stock. Dealers have to allow for preparation costs and the margin they need when they buy. Clean cars at the right price are still selling.”