clch - UK new car registrations by power source

Considerable changes in the relative proportions over these two decades. The dip in car purchasing from the period of 2008 recession and the recovery show up quite well. There was another crash in 2020 from the affects of Covid pandemic.
The number of electric cars is beginning to rise and by 2020 is much the same as that for diesels.
Apart from the inefficient use of fossil fuels for private car as a mode of transport, diesels are regarded as "more polluting" - because of things like "particulates" - having said that, a badly maintained petrol car [one that "burns" lubricants] is also damaging to the environment.
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