AS moves to improve air quality in cities across the UK accelerates, dealers need to be aware of the impact on local buyers from a stock management perspective and ensure their used stock is signposted prominently to help consumers comply with new Clean Air Zones rules.
Debbie McKay, Head Of Motor – Major Accounts at MotoNovo Finance said that having been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the move to increase the UK’s Clean Air Zones (CAZs), which includes Low Emission Zones (LEZs) and Zero Emission Zones (ZEZs), is well under way.
Fourteen cities across the UK, in addition to London, are now planning to introduce zones that would place restrictions on the highest polluting vehicles while encouraging the use of cleaner vehicles.
In some cases, CAZs will see daily charging for non-compliant vehicles, while there will be no charge in others. In Scotland, the four LEZ city centres will see such vehicles banned entirely. Rather than a non-compliance charge, the LEZ will see owners of ineligible motors issued with a Penalty Charge Notice.
The challenge created by these new zones for the motor retail sector is threefold:
- A lack of consistency in the approaches and even names being adopted
- A lack of consumer awareness about the changes
- Helping people move to a car that is both affordable and compliant; a problem exacerbated by stock shortages and rising prices
McKay said: “I am very aware of the struggles facing dealers in sourcing stock right now, but in terms of the age-old mantra buying right to sell right, a knowledge of the local trends and timings in terms of CAZs for stock buying and marketing can only be good for the bottom line.”
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