Are car makers becoming a drag in the race to a carbon-free, green environment? Well, we’re not the only ones who thinks so…

A large chunk of pollutive emissions are coming from the automotive industry, and despite plans to ban diesel and petroleum combustion engines off city streets over the next few decades, car manufacturers continue hanging vehicle skeletons on their production lines.

However, Volkswagen, Toyota and Nissan has set route to a short-term solution on the toxic gases emitted from vehicle cylinders:

  • OUT with large, old engines. IN with new less-polluting new car models.

 

The globally renowned car brands have disclosed its massive drop in new car sales and is relying on the second-hand car market to not only compensate for the slide, but to encourage trade-ins for and sales in new car models that are high in fuel efficiency and low in CO2 emissions.

Why not kill two birds with one stone right?

According to BusinessDay, new vehicle registrations have been experiencing a decline since 2011 in the UK, due to Brexit and lack of confidence in the implementation of new penalties for vehicles high in pollutive emissions.

VW, Toyota and Nissan have come up with a strategy to offer ‘discounts’ on their trade-ins – but isn’t this already what trade-ins are all about?

Nevertheless, Volkswagen will be offering £6,000 on a trade-in for a new car, Nissan will be offering £5,000 on selected new cars, and Toyota has promised that their consumers could save up to £4,000 on its scrappage scheme. Included in the strategy is two-thirds of the new car market automakers – Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Vauxhall and BMW.

What does this mean for South Africa? Will South Africa dive nose in and join the global scrappage scheme? Watch out for the name ‘marketing campaign’ – it’s a synonym for ‘trade-in schemes’, according to  Evercore ISI analyst, Arndt Ellinghorst.

But, first and foremost, before heading out to trade-in your second-hand car for a new one, have you weighed-out the pros and cons of trading-in and selling your car privately for cash?

We’re not saying that trading-in is a bad idea (kind of), but just think about it:

If you sell your car privately, you receive cash in hands! This means more flexibility to purchase at any dealership, you’ll have higher bargaining power to negotiate a really good discount and you will not incur any hidden retail costs.

However, there’s also the risk factor of selling your car privately. Safety and security are the biggest risks when selling your car privately, as a result of dealing with the hassle of consistent calls, meeting strangers, handling test drives, etc. You will also be placing yourself at risk of scams, fraud or even theft!

Why not sell car through a service which offers not only instant cash for cars, but also guarantees the convenience, safety and transparency throughout your entire car selling experience. On www.carzar.co.za, you can receive a free online quote for your car in just seconds and book an obligation-free inspection at your convenience. If you decide to sell it, we buy your car for cash and make an instant payment.

 

For tips on how to get the best offer for your car, read: