A record number of new cars were registered in March as drivers rushed to beat a new tax that came into force on 1 April.
There was an 8.4% rise in sales of new cars from the same time last year – with more than 560,000 new cars registered.
The new vehicle excise duty (VED) rates mean all new cars, except those with zero emissions, will be subject to a substantial annual flat rate charge.
Just days after the new tax was introduced, London Mayor Sadiq Khan also revealed plans to introduce fees of up to £24 a day for all but the newest diesel cars driving in the capital.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will see cars, vans and motorcycles which do not meet emission standards paying £12.50 per day on top of the existing £11.50 congestion charge.
But Prime Minister Theresa May has said that diesel drivers will not be punished by the so-called toxin tax.
Demand for petrol cars increased by 13.2% according to the latest figures, while diesel registrations rose just 1.6%.
The year-to-date market share for diesel cars has fallen by just over 3% compared with this time last year.
However, the alternatively fuelled vehicle market grew by 31% in March to take a 4.1% market share.
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) chief executive Mike Hawes said: “These record figures are undoubtedly boosted by consumers reacting to new VED changes, pulling forward purchases into March, especially those ultra-low emission vehicles that will no longer benefit from a zero-rate fee.”
Motorists were previously encouraged to buy diesel cars under Tony Blair’s Labour government as they were considered better for the environment.
However, Tony Blair’s former chief scientist David King has recently admitted “we were wrong”.
While diesel engines emit less carbon dioxide than petrol cars, they produce more toxic nitrogen oxide.
A Government report published in April 2016 showed diesel cars being sold in the UK emit an average of six times more nitrogen oxide in real-world driving than the legal limit used in official tests.
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