Demand for used diesels fell for the first time at Autorola last year, providing the first big sign that drivers are speeding up their move away from the fuel type.

Diesel sales through Autorola’s online remarketing platform fell by 15.1% in 2022

Diesel sales through the firm’s online remarketing platform shrank by 15.1% in 2022, accounting for just over one in four (26.1%) used cars that it sold. Meanwhile, used petrol sales rose by 28.9%, equating to nearly two out of every three (64.9%) used cars.

That compares with 2021 where used diesels and petrols accounted for 35.3% and 57.8% of sales respectively.

Hybrid and EV sales also rose by 52.6% to account for a record 8.9% of used cars sold in 2022, from 6.7% in 2021.

The changing trends chime with new car registrations figures, which show conventional diesels and mild hybrid diesel fell by 38.9% and 26.7% while hybrids rose 27.6% and EVs increased 40.1%.

Autorola UK also posted a 14.9% increase in used car and van sales in 2022 – despite an overall industry trend for falling used vehicle volumes – which it said showed the auto sector’s increasing acceptance of buying and selling of used vehicles digitally.

Used prices also remained strong for much of 2022 – but Autorola saw diesel prices fall in Q4 by 5.8% (£1,120) to £18,007 mainly due to a major increase in age and mileage. The average age of used diesels rose from 44-49 months and mileage increased from an average of 32,396 to 35,753 miles. Older, higher-mileage used cars are becoming the norm as new car delivery times remain compromised by production delays.

Used EV values also fell by 8.3% (£2,348) in Q4 to £28,231, which the company attributed to consumers struggling to justify the excessive costs amid a difficult economic climate.

Despite this, the average used EV price ended the year more than double that of used petrols (£14,067) and 56% dearer than diesels (£18,007).

Jon Mitchell, Autorola UK’s group sales director, commented: “We gained hundreds of new online buyers during the pandemic lockdown, and they have stayed with us. This helped our business grow at a time when the remarketing industry was experiencing a fall in volumes.

“We are also witnessing a shift in the type of stock we are selling with diesels proving less popular and petrols and hybrids increasing in popularity. Used EV demand and prices meanwhile are falling during the current cost-of-living crisis which is helping boost both petrol and hybrid sales,” he added.