Calls to effectively ban or reduce the usage of diesel cars in major towns and cities could see the values of affected vehicles fall dramatically, according to Glass’s.
The company said the fall could be to such an extent that it could make some older diesel cars ‘effectively unsellable’.
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The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (defra) has called for the introduction of ‘clean air zones’ in six cities.
Rupert Pontin, head of valuations at Glass’s said: "All of this is creating momentum behind an anti-diesel movement. However, there are more than 10 million diesel cars in the UK and we are asking what happens to them if these ideas become reality?"
Pontin added that if the six cities, including London, Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton, restrict certain kinds of vehicles, this would inevitably reduce demand.
Pontin said: "If there is a strong public mood for these moves to go ahead, then it should happen. However, owners of diesel vehicles affected will see the values reduced, perhaps quite considerably, so it is reasonable to look at the implications. Should they be recompensed in some way? Should we see the introduction of a scrappage scheme, as recently suggested by MPs in the Commons Environmental Audit Committee?"
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By GlobalData"Older diesels are comparatively polluting and will already be making their way towards scrappage by the time that these measures would probably come into effect but a true Euro 6 diesel is virtually as clean as its petrol counterpart, yet you hear very little talk about banning petrol vehicles.
"It could be that what we need to do is have a genuine and well-informed debate about different fuels and drivetrains, discussing properly the compromises that each represents. Banning diesel just as the technology allows us to significantly reduce its emissions may turn out to be something of a kneejerk reaction."
