Diesel Car Sales Falling in Key European Markets

Sales numbers of new diesel cars are declining in Europe’s biggest automotive markets, with the market share for new diesel car registrations falling from 50.2 percent to 46.3 percent in the first half of 2017. Industry experts say that the primary cause of the slump is the backlash that followed Volkswagen Group’s emissions scandal, but of course, there are other reasons at play. The details below provide a snapshot of the state of diesel cars in the region.

Germany

The diesel market in Germany peaked at 48.1 percent in 2012. Since then, numbers have dropped by about half a percentage point every succeeding year. In 2016, that number was 45.8 percent. Last March, diesel shares plummeted to 40 percent following a national debate discussing whether to ban diesel cars in major cities such as Stuttgart. The numbers fell further to 38 percent in August, following the Diesel Summit held in Berlin where cabinet ministers and senior car executives discussed Euro 5 diesels.

France

For the first time this century, diesel’s share in France fell below 50 percent. Factors thought to cause the shift include cleaner gasoline engines, the growing popularity of hybrid and electric cars, higher diesel taxes, and tightening pollution regulations. In an announcement last December, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo expressed her intention to ban all diesels from the French capital by 2025. "France has long given priority to diesel and supported this industry as if it were the only option possible," she said.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom's government recently announced that it wants to completely eradicate internal combustion engines from the region by 2040, and diesel sales have continuously plummeted since then. In August, diesel market share sank to 21 percent, which was a 6.4 percent drop from the previous month. Meanwhile, sales of electric and hybrid cars rose 33 percent, achieving a 4.4 percent total market share.

Italy

Italy is the sole country on this list to experience diesel car sales share of over 50 percent . Through August, diesels took a 56.7 percent share of Italy’s new car sales total. However, it’s worth noting that the number was 56.8 the same time last year. Major cities Milan and Turin have implemented measures to discourage the use of diesel vehicles, but a complete ban has never been discussed.