CarGurus’ motoring expert and commentator Vicky Parrott has her say on the burning issues in the automotive world. This week, it's why the towing community will continue to turn to diesel for the foreseeable future…
There’s an obvious answer to the question of whether diesel is dead, and it’s a resounding ‘yes’. Sales of new diesel cars have dropped, and car makers are increasingly not bothering to even offer diesel models. It’s easy to see why, given that diesel passenger car sales fell in the UK by 13.6% in 2024 (compared with 2023), with 123,104 registrations. For context, petrol sales were also down, but only by 4.4% at over 1m cars registered, while battery EV sales rose 21.4% with nearly 382,000 cars registered.
The numbers tell us that diesel is, indeed, dead.
Yet, if you live in a rural bit of the UK, as I do, I’m not sure you’d know it. Electric car charging is a factor, although out in the countryside the percentage of homes with driveways and potential for home charging means that it’s far less of a problem than you might imagine. The real reason why diesel isn’t dead out in Britain’s green and muddy bits, is towing. If you tow horses or a caravan, electric cars are basically still a no-go.
I know, I know! I drive an EV every day, and I wouldn’t go back to anything else for my daily driver. It’s also worth pointing out that EVs are finally beginning to offer some decent towing capacities, as well as a long range: the Audi A6 e-tron, the Kia EV9, the BMW iX, the Polestar 3, the Volvo EX90… There are quite a few out there now that will tow 2.5-tonnes, although none will manage a 3.0-tonne braked trailer.
Even if 2.5 tonnes is good enough, your options are typically expensive new or new-ish SUVs, and real-world range will be heavily reduced when you’re towing. Not to mention that charging on-the-go with a trailer attached is still a chore, even though large bays that give ‘drive through’ access for towing vehicles (and disabled drivers or large commercial vehicles) are becoming more common. So, let’s be honest; EVs just aren’t ready yet if you tow regularly.
