Trucking experts were requested to provide their opinion on this debatable matter.
UK Truck journalist, Steve Banner, investigated whether a used Euro 5 would be worth more than a used Euro 6 truck. To gather information, he contacted various experts in the trucking industry. Below is a summary of the responses:
- “The Euro 6, because if you go Euro 6 you are future-proofing yourself against the risk that more and more cities will introduce Low Emission Zones (LEZs) and because the fuel consumption story accompanying it has turned out to be a good one. Any early reliability problems appear to have evaporated and ten years from now we’ll be wondering why we had this conversation”. George Alexander, Chief Editor, Commercial Vehicles, Glass’s
- “Euro 6 if only because Euro 6 trucks are so rare in the used market at present. Euro 6 does of course future-proof you to a degree against LEZs and Euro 6 vehicles will still carry what’s left of the manufacturer’s warranty”. James Davis, Director of Commercial Vehicles, Manheim Remarketing.
- “If you are comparing like-for-like Euro 5 and Euro 6 trucks – same make, model, condition and mileage – then you have to give it to Euro 6 because it will be so much more fuel-efficient. It is likely to have been face-lifted too so that will add on a few more percentage points.
- “If we’re talking about tractor units then the premium is likely to be £2,000 to £2,500 and around £1,500 to £2,000 for rigids. Second-hand Euro 6 models are still a rarity of course so that will help them initially. Selling used Euro 6 trucks into export markets in six or seven years’ time may be problematic because they won’t want the technology any more than they want the technology associated with Euro 5. I suspect a lot of people will be kept busy downgrading these vehicles to a lower Euro rating before they are sold overseas.” Rael Winetroube, Head of MAN TopUsed.
- “In terms of absolute value – pound notes in other words – a used Euro 6 truck should make more money than a Euro 5 simply because it cost more new. As a consequence the used price difference might be £2,500 to £3,000 so far as a tractor unit is concerned. However if you look at things in percentage terms and consider what a three-year-old Euro 5 truck will make now compared with what a Euro 6 truck is liable to make in three years’ time then the rate of depreciation is likely to be similar.” Paul Young, regional asset manager, UK, Italy and Spain, Paccar Financial Europe (DAF Trucks).
- “It’s a difficult one but I believe that Euro 6 will have the edge because of the fuel advantage although I think the premium will be measured in hundreds rather than thousands of pounds: and fuel is of course more of an issue with tractor units than it is with rigids”. John Biggin, Managing Director of Scania dealership TruckEast and Chairman of the National Franchised Dealers’ Association’s Truck Council.
- “Euro 6 models cost more than Euro 5s when new so they are going to be worth more in cash terms when they are sold second-hand. Euro 6 is far better on fuel, and while that argument has been weakened by the comparatively-low price of diesel at present, that situation will not last. Euro 6 helps hauliers future-proof themselves against LEZs. Although the technology is more complicated and there have been scare stories about problems with particulate filters, any problems should be eliminated once people get into the groove so far as the necessary maintenance regime is concerned. John Fletcher, Managing Director, DawsonRentals.
- “Euro 5 v Euro 6? It’s too early to say, but looking at the demand for new Euro 6 trucks and the acceptability of the product I would imagine the residual values of Euro 6 trucks will be much higher than those of their Euro 5 counterparts. I think that’s the view some operators are taking but it’s an unknown quantity at this stage”. David Lewis – Regional Director Imperial Commercials.
- “It’s early days to draw a comparison between Euro 5 and Euro 6 residuals, mainly due to the current low volumes of Euro 6 models entering the used vehicle market, Our forecasts would say that a Euro 6 truck will hold a higher premium over and above the price of a Euro 5. In the UK the first Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz trucks entered service in April 2012 and operators are reporting fuel consumption betterments across the vehicle range and reduced downtime thanks to extended service intervals. Naturally we believe that these savings will continue once these vehicles enter the used market.” Dale Slee, Used Commercials Sales Manager, Mercedes-Benz North.