Motorists in the United Kingdom are turning their backs on diesel-powered vehicles, instead opting for more environmentally-friendly alternatives.
In the first month of the year, 174,564 new vehicles registrations were made in the UK, the most since 2005. However, of that total, only 78,778 were for diesel vehicles, down from the 82,314 registered in January 2016, representing a 4.3 per cent decrease.
Meanwhile, sales of petrol vehicles rose by a significant 8.9 per cent while alternatively-fueled vehicles (electric, hybrids and hydrogen cars) grew by 19.9 per cent from 6,072 in January last year, to 7,279 in January 2017.
Compared with the latter half of 2015, diesel vehicle sales in the UK have fallen in seven of the last eight months and decreased by a significant 6.8 per cent in December, confirming reducing interest in the wake of the Volkswagen scandal.
Additionally, a number of large cities around the world have announced plans to ban diesel-powered vehicles from their streets within 10 years. BBC News also reports that calls have been made to the Mayor of London so that similar plans can be initiated in the British capital.
PHOTO GALLERY
