keyboardwarrior

BBC News: 'UK now commits to 'net zero' emissions by 2050' Well, that's the final nail now officially in the coffin. Less than 12 hours since it was made public oil has lost 2% in value in early trading, Pendragon issues profit warning. Both the above not directly due to the announcement but fuel for the ever increasing fire. Autotrader announced record profits two weeks ago, shares jumped. Today, they are down 2.5% which I am sure is to do with the Cabal's decision (sorry, Government's decision). This is what I am on about. The transitional change to electric cars. It will not only affect values of existing stocks and future purchases, but literally the entire economy. Brace yourselves.

It's the transitional period that concerns me most at the moment. If you are selling well just now with your usual stock then understanding my view may not be of any concern. However, when you look at the news of not too long ago regarding diesels and how they are now frowned upon by ULEZ schemes as well, you can see an instant drop in values and a general opinion that they are to be avoided. Some folks here have already said they will not buy a diesel for stock when they would have had no issues with it for the last decade or more prior to recent events. Some people have and will lose a lot of money (and I am talking about traders here as well). At what point do you see petrol/diesel being avoided to favor electric among the punters? If its a case of stocking a mixed bag or even more towards the newer tech such as hybrids or full EV then there is going to be a short supply as they are not mass produced at the moment and as usual, values will go up because we are chasing the same thing. Its not like EV's have been around for 20 or 30 years in big numbers to get a feel for them. We are dealing with new technology that is supposed to be ever changing with better ranges - does that mean when the EV that does 300 or 400 miles comes out, the rest will be avoided in general? A year ago, BCA was achieving over the estimate for every half decent car (even some right awful ones). Now, deals can be had at the right money (sometimes below your expectations). That was certainly not the case for many years. From my own personal experience I am seeing it change. Definitely no where near as busy and for the first time in years I am having multiple sales operating at a loss. I questioned whether it was the cars - did I buy the wrong ones, is the price to high, is it my location, is it Autotrader and these 'featured first' adverts resulting in my ads not being seen etc etc. Is it Brexit? On and on and on... There will be a point where the desire for customers want the next best thing but because the changes we are seeing are massive (petrol/diesel to a battery pack) then values are going to be changing faster than ever before and the chance of being stung are going to be greater. Hey, if it was 2030 things might be settled down by then and at least we know where things are going. It was not that long ago that air-con was an optional extra on most cars (and for some it still is), now we have a completely different power source to deal with which seems to be setting the new standard. Chalk and cheese. I mean, I can see the appeal for some folks in wanting an EV. Just think man and wife (or whatever your orientation/gender is these days) saying to each other: A: 'I think we need a new car?' B: 'Yes, lets get an ELECTRIC one!' A: 'Yes, I think we will. Saves the environment (means we get free membership to Extinction Rebellion event days), will make our neighbours jealous as they still have a diesel Golf (dirty swine), has an ipad in the middle (MOST IMPORTANT!!!), the seats make fart noises (very important and must have - more so than a/c), there really silent we can hear each other breathing inside (or silently screaming) and oh, free fuel (sort of)' B: 'SOLD! - pass me the autotrader...' A: 'Sorry darling, you need the app instead on your iphone' B: 'oops silly me, must be all that vegan food i've been eating lately!' So, if you had £100k what would you do? Stick to the same old (petrol/diesel)? Buy newer rather than older (only ULEZ friendly stuff)? Go into classics? Change completely to hybrid and EV? Carry a mixed bag? Or, blow it on a month long trip to the USA, followed by the Maldives, then pick up a cheap as chips V8 and the put the rest (if any) into a buy to let? (oh, and get a job for Amazon working for minimum wage in slave-like conditions just to afford Poundland all day breakfast cans to make up for the poor return on the BTL).

No EPV, just two sold. I would of been the third if I had not had a call one hour prior to handing over a beautiful Jaguar to a bloke who had to cancel while he was on the train to collect it as his wife decided to tell him by text message that she was having an affair. You literally could not make this kind of stuff up. Oh, and he phoned to tell me this while in tears. I don't think he was kidding. So many excuses now because we all feel there must be an excuse. I think its genuinely all the confusion out there with Brexit (hate admitting it) and all the nonsense of the petrol/diesel ban and the ULEZ zones. The perfect storm cometh.

Well, I expect its going to be the worst year for petrol/diesel cars in living memory. Nothing will get better until after we leave the EU and I don't believe its going to jump up immediately after October 31st when we are now supposed to leave (again). Come 2020, the ULEZ zones will be just about in force up and down the land. I predict by the end of the year we will be in recession as well. More negativity fueling the fire. I also see another widespread scrappage scheme coming into play next year with the new Tory PM to push more people into 'greener' cars. If its 'Cocaine Gove' then we are definitely for the chop. However, a recession could change a lot of the planned ideas for electric cars. If its a global one (and I do think it will be and a pretty sore one at that), then the job killing Paris Agreement and all these 'green' agendas might be shelved. It only delays the eventual goal they have but it will be interesting to see how much and how badly it will affect the motor giants such as VW and there massive push to electric cars. I think China is in for a shock, thus deeply gut punching all the big motor companies. Do you still want to invest all that cash into batteries? Hmmm....

second rate used car dealer? Spoken like a true left winged hatred filled Corbyn loving progressive who just love to attack others. You can shove it fella.

Oh, forgot to mention - autonomous cars and robo-taxis!!!! THEY DO NOT WANT YOU TO DRIVE OR OWN A CAR. They would rather you lived in a high-rise box flat, be in debt, work for nothing, be under the watchful eye every day, dont dream, dont even think of making a better life for yourself - just be a loser. Thats what they want. I had to laugh today (which is a rare thing these days) when I read Gove was taking cocaine on only 'several' occasions. I wonder where he came up with the plan to ban petrol and diesel cars? Probably while snorting a few lines in Soho. Junkies in power, no wonder we are going down the tubes.

Thanks for the replies. I don't have a problem with hybrids - just have a problem chasing them down for the right price. My problem is the FULL electric vehicle. If your trading ones that are a few years old have the dosh to do that, great. However, its a different story when they are just a few years older. If you can fix a couple of cells for a reasonable cost then great, but I am not seeing evidence that can be done yet. An electric motor will be $$$$ to replace - but if you can repair them, then that might be ok as well. I just can not see them being beneficial in the long run when it comes to selling them second hand. A few traders I know who are a bit older just say 'i'll be dead by then' but for those of us who have invested time in making this a career choice and seeing how much the used car market can be literally rocked in a short period of time is bloody frightening. Just look at the other areas that will be affected by this change. Bridgend is a classic example. China hold the cards, they will make the batteries and the manufacturers will have to buy them from China and all of them will end up building them in China as well. Jaguar are the only ones that are different by building the battery in the UK for the IPace, but that will change I am certain. All those folks at the Ford engine factory are not going to get those well paid jobs back any time soon. JLR are only delaying there move just now to China and Slovakia, they will go all in. Whats left? Mini? Nope - OFF TO CHINA AS WELL. All thanks to electric cars (alos China and the joke of UK trade decisions). So thank you for destroying the used trade, destroying the engineering and manufacturing trade and all the local garages. What are Kwikfit going to do now - just sell tyres and do Mot's? With regards to traffic in towns - yes it can get busy and breathing in fumes is not that great, however look at the empty bus lanes and the stupid traffic management for cycles, 20mph speed limits and the new buzz word of 'public spaces' and you can soon see why there is congestion!!!! Maybe some folks are quite happy embracing the Greta Thunberg's of this World. Maybe we will see you glued to the side of a train one day.

Hello everyone, first time poster here. Due to having the worst year on record (having had 12 years experience) when it comes to used car sales, I have been left wondering what on earth is going on. Searched the web to find answers and ended up discovering the cardealermagazine forum (well, the depressing 'who is doing well' threads anyway!). A serious change in the trade as I see it was when... I noticed in the last few years a massive lack of good cars to buy and having to go to auctions where every man and his dog is chasing the same cars at insanely over inflated prices Dealers now selling there part exchanges rather than auction them off More and more and more people selling to WeBuyAnyCar rather than sell privately (never thought it would have taken off - how wrong I was) The plethora of new personal lease cars on the road, especially Audi's, BMW's and Merc's How everyone (the regular buyer) became price experts and expected that everything should be priced the same as what Parkers says its worth or what WBAC say its worth Elon Musk Elon Musk - the man who single-handedly destroyed the internal combustion engine, gave the super elites the chance to enforce there agenda on 'climate change' while brain-washing millenials and now as his last party trick... he has killed the used car industry. I have been trying to think this one out for a while and still keep coming up with the same conclusion. If electric cars are the future (which I detest with a passion) then think of the consequences for those who sell used cars. If you deal in cars eight years or older (which I do) in the sub £3000 to £8000 category, what is it going to be like when you have to sell an EV that effectively has a battery that is degrading before you? Let me explain. Today I may look at buying a 2010 Golf with a 1.4 engine that has covered 30,000 miles. Lets say the Golf is valued at £5,000 and retails for £6,500. When you buy the Golf, you don't expect its fuel tank to shrink. Your more concerned that there is no lights on the dash, that the diamond cut wheels are in ok shape and that the timing belt (and the waterpump) has been changed. OK, now, compare that to the future electric Leaf you will have to buy (seeing as the electric Golf on offer just now is never going to be wanted with a 120 mile range). The Leaf is horrible to look at no matter how much motivation you need to just simply try and sell the thing, but hey its what you have and its all you can buy because the Government says so (I digress). You are more concerned that above anything else, the Leaf's battery is still showing full strength and that it has not suffered serious battery degradation, after all your battery is your fuel tank now and with limited range on a EV at present, no one wants one that will travel shorter and shorter distances. The battery replacement cost is insane as well. If you are buying your Leaf to sell for say £5,000 when its eight years old, lets hope that 95%, 90% or 85% battery life left is acceptable to your future customers as replacement of a Leaf battery will set you back £5,000. Then there is another problem, how do you value a used electric car? A car with an engine can be valued based on its mileage as less miles on the engine usually determines the value due to ware and tare. However, an electric car does not have an engine so what difference does a 60k Leaf have over a 20k Leaf? Seriously, what are we appraising here? This is the problem I have with this technology and this is why I think used electric cars are going to be worthless and in turn, the used car sellers out there might want to think about getting another trade. If I am wrong in this, please please please let me know. I just can not see this working in the coming years ahead (and when I say that I mean literally the next year or so). Already cars are on the decline with these stupid ULEZ zones and anti-diesel cars. Its suicidal what is happening to the car industry and I just feel furious about it. Good on President Trump for standing up for fossil fuels. Europe is finished.