Dealers are rejecting diesel cars as part of the payment for electric vehicles.

The rise in diesel prices is starting to cause interesting developments in the used car market. What was until recently a common practice—using a gasoline car as part of the payment to buy another—is becoming more complicated at some specialized dealerships.

This phenomenon is particularly noticeable among those looking for used electric cars. Rising fuel costs are prompting some drivers to reconsider their options and consider switching to electric vehicles, while dealerships are starting to realize that certain diesel cars could become problematic when resold.

And that brings up a situation that would have been hard to imagine just a few years ago: some electric car specialists are outright refusing diesel cars as part of the payment, as they don’t want to accumulate units that will be difficult to sell later.

Diesel loses appeal as demand for used electric cars grows

The data collected by the used car portal Auto Trader shows how much buyer behavior is changing in markets such as the UK. During September, inquiries related to used electric cars accounted for one in four requests sent to dealers through Auto Trader, while the proportion of inquiries for diesel models was cut in half over the past month.

This trend coincides with a sharp rise in diesel prices, which by the end of September reached nearly 2 pounds per liter, equivalent to about 2.35 euros per liter at the exchange rate.

The effect is also starting to show among dealers themselves. A used diesel car now takes an average of 34 days to sell, three days longer than a year ago and almost a week longer than a used electric car. It’s still a relatively small difference, but significant enough to affect profit margins and the risk taken by sellers when adding a unit to their inventory.

One of the most striking examples comes from R Symons, a British expert on electric cars and Tesla who has been working in the used car market for years. His boss, Richard Symons, explains that he has received an unusually high number of customers in recent days who want to trade in their diesel cars to buy an electric one.

The problem is that dealers no longer want to take on that risk. Symons acknowledges that they are rejecting these transactions because if they accepted all the units, they might end up with a warehouse full of diesel cars that are hard to sell. The advice for owners is to try selling them through other channels, although the expert himself notes that prices are also falling as demand decreases.

It’s not that diesel cars have suddenly lost all their value overnight. In fact, they still have buyers and remain an important part of the UK’s vehicle fleet. What is changing is the balance between supply and demand, which directly affects the price that professionals are willing to pay for a used vehicle.

Other experts in the used car market are observing the same trend. Car Dealer reports comments from several electric vehicle sellers who say they’ve noticed an increase in inquiries since fuel prices started soaring, while some customers are surprised by the drop in value of their diesel cars.

At the same time, used electric cars that are most in demand are experiencing the opposite trend. Demand is rising while the availability of certain models remains limited, allowing sellers to maintain higher buy and sell prices.

This doesn’t mean all dealerships are rejecting diesel cars, nor that any model powered by this fuel has automatically lost its appeal. It’s a highly localized trend influenced by fuel prices, demand, and car type, but it’s interesting because it shows how quickly the used car market can change.

Auto Trader had already observed significant growth in demand for used electric cars during 2025. Queries about this type of vehicle increased, and within the used car market, models aged three to six years became one of the fastest-growing segments.

Now, the rising cost of diesel is adding another factor to the equation. For drivers who travel long distances, fuel costs can play a major role in deciding when to replace their car. And as the market offers increasingly affordable used electric cars, the comparison starts to look different.

The key lies precisely there. It’s not necessary for diesel cars to disappear completely for them to lose their appeal in the used car market. It’s enough if buyers have alternatives they find more attractive and if the cost of using them rises significantly.

For now, data from the UK shows a shift in behavior rather than a complete collapse of the market. But the image of an electric car dealership refusing diesel vehicles because it fears being stuck with them in stock captures well the current situation in the used car industry: a car’s value increasingly depends on how easily it is possible to find someone willing to buy it.