The forthcoming prospect of clean air zones in cities across the country means operators should look to invest in Euro-6 vehicles as soon as possible. That’s according to Evans Halshaw group used truck sales leader Guy Pinder who says that “operators are being forced into a corner”.
“The Euro-5 market is at an all-time low, so the longer operators leave trading in their trucks the less value they will get for part exchanges. They need to be looking to change them as soon as possible. If you do leave it too long you will have to panic and that will cost you. There are still people who think it’s [clean air zones] not going to happen, but we know they are going to, so it’s just a case of trying to get the customer to switch to Euro-6 as soon as they can.”
Pinder believes the market for used Euro-6 trucks has now reached a point whereby they are a sensible investment for companies not looking to commit to a new vehicle.
“I don’t like to say it, but Brexit is affecting people’s buying decisions, but you can’t ignore that clean air zones are coming to several major cities. If operators do buy a Euro-6 they don’t have to worry about any additional costs for taking vehicles into city centre. Many operators aren’t confident in buying new, but rather than wait on the uncertainty, my personal opinion is to buy a used Euro-6 before preparing to make the commitment for a new Euro-6 truck. That way you’ll have been running with a Euro-6 and can go into any zone in the UK, but then when confidence to the industry comes back you can commit to a new one. It’s all about getting the customer the right vehicle for this moment in time and I belive that is a used Euro-6,” Pinder said.
Several cities are proposing new clean air zones along the lines of the newly created London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Leeds and Birmingham are set to roll out schemes of their own next year, while Southampton, Nottingham and Derby are all required to produce their own plans to tackle emissions levels.
Leeds will begin charging from 6 January 2020 and its area will cover most of the city centre with a £50 charge levied against heavy goods vehicles. Birmingham will introduce its zone from 1 January 2020 covering the area inside the inner ring road of the city. Other towns and cities considering their own clean air zones include Bath, Sheffield and Manchester with expected fees for non-compliant trucks ranging from £30 to £100.
Pinder added: “Operators across the country could be hit with huge charges to enter cities and they need to be prepared. Buying a new truck isn’t for everyone, but we are prepared with a good choice of Euro-6 stock available at our sites in Leeds, Stockton and Sheffield. All of which can be delivered across the country to meet clean air zones from Southampton to Glasgow.”
