Diesel car sales down 20% as drivers shift to electric vehicles
Diesel car sales have dropped by roughly 20,000 from 102,000 in May 2016 to 81,489 in May 2017, says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). More than half of the cars sold in 2017 have been petrol, and this month's fall in diesel sales follows a 27% decline last month. However, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "Diesel cars continue to be a popular choice for UK consumers and businesses, with more registered in 2016 than in any previous year, and the newest diesels will be vital to improving air quality and reducing CO2 emissions."

Sales of diesel cars have suffered a sharp fall over the past month as drivers continue a gradual move towards petrol and electric vehicles.

Diesel car sales fell by around 20,000, from just under 102,000 in May 2016 to 81,489 last month.

In the same period, sales of petrol cars rose slightly to 96,518 while vehicles using so-called "alternative fuels", which are invariably electric motors, sold 8,258 - an increase of nearly 47% on last year.

Put all those numbers together and you see overall car sales falling by more than 8% from May 2016, a decline that the industry has ascribed to the effect of drivers waiting until the General Election is over.

The motor industry's trade body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said the impending election had given buyers "pause for thought".

The society also said that a dip had been "expected" because it followed a surge of car purchases in March, when buyers bought cars in order to avoid impending increases in vehicle excise duty, but it said that the decline in diesel sales was part of a series of fluctuations.

"We never look at one month in isolation," said a spokesperson for the SMMT.

So far this year, nearly 100,000 more petrol-driven cars have been sold than diesels.

More than half of the cars sold in 2017 have been petrol, while diesel's share of the market, at 44%, is less than it has been for years.

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Certainly this month's decline has been arresting, but it comes after an even bigger fall - over 27% - in diesel sales last month.

At the time, that was explained as a direct result of people rushing through deals to avoid the increase in vehicle duty.

However, analysis of car sales for the past year suggests that this change in buying habits can now be traced back for at least a year.

Sky News has examined data for each of the past 12 months of cars sales. In that time, diesel sales have seen monthly declines ten times but petrol sales have gone down on only three occasions.

On the two occasions when diesels sales have gone up, they have risen by relative modest amounts - 2.8% in September 2016 and then by 1.6% in March of this year.

The two biggest declines seen in any sector have been the falls in diesel sales over the past two months.

A few factors are likely to explain this decline.

Most obvious has been the barrage of criticism that has come the way of diesel engines since the VW emissions scandal.

Diesel engines have been blamed for respiratory illnesses and poor air quality, with threats of penalties being imposed on the drivers of some diesel cars.

In reality, new diesel cars would almost certainly be exempt, but there may be those who decide a diesel car now carries a stigma.

Road tax changes have eroded a little of the advantage that diesel cars used to have, while the pump price of diesel remains slightly higher than that of petrol.

Market predictions also suggest that the second-hand value of a diesel car will fall slightly in the future, making it a less attractive proposition.

However, the SMMT remains resolute that diesel engines are here to stay.

Chief executive Mike Hawes said: "Diesel cars continue to be a popular choice for UK consumers and businesses, with more registered in 2016 than in any previous year, and the newest diesels will be vital to improving air quality and reducing CO2 emissions up to 2020 and beyond.

"Thanks to billions of investment by the industry, the latest Euro 6 diesels are the cleanest and safest ever and will not face any charges anywhere in Britain under the government's Clean Air Zone proposals.

"With 96% of the commercial vehicles that keep Britain moving powered by diesel and the UK being a major producer of diesel vehicles and engines, it is essential for future growth and jobs that we encourage these newer, low emission vehicles on to our roads."

Just over 4% of new cars sold are now using alternative fuels.