Petrol vehicles already outsell diesel ones in Europe

The Dieselgate scandal and the numerous bans that diesel vehicles have faced in recent years have both had a negative effect on the commercial performance of this class of car.

Until now, diesel cars were the best-selling vehicles in the industry, but according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), this is no longer the case. In the first half of 2017, petrol cars overtook their diesel equivalents in sales. This had not happened in Europe since 2009.

Diesel cars suffered a 10% drop in sales compared with the first half of 2016, which amounts to a total of 152,332 units not sold. The market share of diesel vehicles stood at 50.2% in 2016. That percentage has now fallen to 46.3%.

Petrol car sales rose by 2.7% compared with 2016, giving them a market share of 48.5%. The most positive aspect of this shift lies in the gradual growth being experienced by alternative-fuel vehicles. Part of the market share lost by diesel vehicles has been taken up by hybrid, electric and natural gas vehicles. Sales of this class of car grew by 35% in 2017, giving them a market share of 5.2%.

Erik Jonnaert, secretary general of ACEA, says that petrol and diesel vehicles will continue to play a fundamental role in the transition towards zero-emission mobility.

“Alternative propulsion systems will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in the transport industry, and all European manufacturers are investing heavily in them. With this in mind, greater effort is needed to encourage consumers to buy alternative vehicles, for example through the creation of appropriate incentives and the deployment of charging infrastructure across the EU,” says ACEA’s secretary general.