The UK’s embattled automotive sector has been grappling with a wide range of issues for a number of years now, and you don’t necessarily need to be an industry inside to know that new car sales have been in decline for quite some time. New research from Startline Used Car Tracker is now throwing that fact into particularly stark relief, as it shows that more than half of drivers now own a vehicle that’s older than the one they had five years ago.

In fact, according to figures, more than four in 10 cars on the road are now over a decade old, which demonstrates a noticeable shift in how long people are keeping their cars before they become ‘end of life’. When it is time to scrap, that’s exactly where we can help here at EMR Vehicle Recycling. If you’re planning on holding onto it for a while longer though, you’re certainly not alone. The big question is: why is that?

In short – it’s all about the economy

The cost of living crisis has bitten hard over the last few years, and in the new research, almost one in four drivers (24 per cent) report that they can’t afford to upgrade to a newer car. A further 18 per cent believe that used car prices have become too high, making even second-hand purchases more difficult to justify.

These personal experiences are backed by official data which paints a similar picture of the ageing national fleet. Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) confirm the average age of a car on British roads has increased to 9.5 years. That’s up from 8.0 just five years ago, and 6.7 in 1994.

Beyond the broad strokes of the general economic situation, the ageing national fleet can be traced back to a combination of specific factors, many of which emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic. For starters, new car shortages during that period meant fewer vehicles entered the market, leading to a significant drop in the stock available in the used sector. The reduced supply has combined with sustained demand to push up prices for both new and used cars.

At the same time, the cost of living crisis has forced households to manage a period of high inflation that’s placed a strain on countless budgets. As a direct result of that, it’s become far less financially viable to upgrade to a newer vehicle for many drivers. And people who are still replacing their cars often find themselves shopping with tighter budgets in a market where prices are notably higher than before the pandemic, creating further pressure on purchasing decisions.

So, is the ageing UK fleet a bad thing?

There’s no doubt that the shift to older cars is a big change, but it’s not all automatically bad news. There are some upsides to keeping a car for longer. Plenty of models have built a reputation for lasting well – the Honda Jazz, for example, is known for staying on the road for years. In fact, 21 per cent of motorists say their car has actually stayed reliable even as it’s aged, which shows that keeping an older vehicle going can work out perfectly well for a lot of people.

Of course, that’s not to say it’s all smooth sailing and when things go wrong they can escalate. One in 10 motorists say they are spending more money on keeping their current vehicle moving, and almost as many, 9 per cent, report their cars are breaking down more often.

Older cars are also more likely to get caught out by Clean Air Zones, which are becoming more common across the UK as part of plans to cut emissions. That can make driving them more expensive, or even potentially limit where you can go. Despite this, 4 per cent of drivers say they plan to run their current vehicle, and we quote, “into the ground”. That might pose an obstacle to the government’s electrification plans, as it tries to get the UK population into newer, cleaner cars – especially electric vehicles.

For many drivers, hanging on to an older car is simply the only realistic choice in the current climate. However, if you’re planning on recycling yours – or it’s simply come to the end of its natural life – that’s exactly where we can help here at EMR Vehicle Recycling.

With more than 70 years of experience to our name, we’re committed to getting you the very best price. What’s more, it couldn’t be easier – all you need to do is enter your car reg and postcode into the fields on our homepage, and you’ll have an instant online quote before you can say scrap my car. How much could yours be worth?