Diesel drivers are being urged not to panic sell in the light of government plans to tackle dangerous emission levels through a ‘toxin tax’.

A draft plan on the tax is expected on June 30 followed by the full policy in September.

Operations manager of car selling website Tootle Jordan Green (pictured) said: “We’ve seen a huge increase in used car listings since the start of the year, with diesel numbers accelerating following the tax news.

“It’s important that sellers consider their options when selling their car and are given the fairest possible price, especially in the current financial climate.”

Tootle tips:

  •          Don’t panic and consider if you will be affected – The tax will not be enforced until 2019, so there is still plenty of time to consider your options if you’re an owner of a vehicle that will be affected. Take a look at all of the information and the participating cities when they are published. Think about how often you use your vehicle in urban areas before making a decision
  •          Shop around for the best possible price – Diesel vehicle owners, particularly those of higher value or luxury vehicles, should explore all of their alternatives in terms of selling their vehicle rather than looking at the Government scrapping proposal.
  •          PCP and financed vehicles – if you’ve purchased your vehicle through PCP or finance, selling or scraping your vehicle can be problematic because of outstanding balances that need to be cleared
  •          Consider alternative fuel vehicles – This year there has been significant increases in alternative fuel and hybrid vehicle listings as drivers become more environmentally-conscious. “There is a significant consumer demand for these type of vehicles and we expect to see volumes increasing, meaning buyers will be able to get a better deal for used hybrid vehicles.”

Green said: “Although this announcement will have an impact on the industry, we haven’t seen dealers acting hastily or taking a knee jerk reaction to this news.

“The latest data shows that that diesel cars still have a huge presence on the roads in the UK.

“In fact, 38% of Britain's cars today are diesel-fuelled.

“They remain a consumer favourite and they won’t be going away fast. However, watching the hybrid and electric car sector grow will be interesting over the coming months and years.”

An estimated 10 million diesel vehicles will face costs of up to £20 a day when the ‘toxin tax’ is rolled out across the worst affected cities and towns, including London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Derby and Southampton. 

The tax is designed to combat rising air pollution in some of Britain’s worst affected cities and will commence from 2019.

Drivers affected are expected to be compensated by a Government scrapping scheme where owners would be encouraged to trade in their car for up to £2,000 towards a new, cleaner vehicle.