• Also, 73% say they expect used petrol or diesel cars to become more expensive and 64% say they’ll hang onto theirs for longer
• However, 64% say they will become more likely to buy an electric car, according to October’s new Startline Used Car Tracker

Startline’s October Used Car Tracker shows that 73% expect used petrol or diesel cars to become more expensive as a result of the measure and 66% say they’ll hang onto their existing petrol or diesel car for longer as a result.

However, 64% say they are more likely to buy an electric car in response to the deadline and 58% believe used electric cars will soon become cheaper than petrol or diesel. Almost half (48%) say they will stick with petrol or diesel up until 2030.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “The petrol and diesel car production deadline has been something of a political football. Boris Johnson introduced it for 2030, Rishi Sunak pushed it out to 2035 and Keir Starmer is set to bring it back to 2030 again.

“While it is grabbing headlines, the fact is that it is something of a symbolic measure. The legislation that is really affecting the types of cars that can be bought is the Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate, which rapidly ramps up the percentage of electric cars that must be sold toward the end of the decade and is already having an impact on new car sales.

“Against this backdrop, the motorists we have surveyed this month are probably right in their assumptions. The supply of petrol and diesel cars into the used market is going to start falling quite quickly and this could lead to a situation where demand drives up prices. Certainly, it is very much possible to envisage a situation where later in the decade, electric cars are cheaper than comparable petrol or diesel models.

“To make this situation work, the government needs to ensure that everyone has access to low-cost, convenient charging. While it is relatively easy for anyone with their own drive to install a charger, mass installation of on-street charging for those who live in an apartment or terraced house needs to be happening much faster than we are currently seeing.”

The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research, well-known in the motor industry for their business intelligence reporting and customer experience programs. This time, 300 consumers and 62 dealers were questioned.