Dieselgate scandal has affected Europeans preferences in buying a car. They now try to avoid diesel engines as the latest sales results show.
The European car industry saw a drop in registrations in April 2017, with new registrations for the month totalling 1.22 million units – a decrease of 7.1% when compared to the same month last year, and the largest monthly decline posted since March 2013. This was also a poor month for diesel vehicles, which witnessed a 15% decline in registrations meaning that the fueltype has lost its dominance in the European market. Diesel accounted for just 46% of the market in April 2017, compared to its 50% market share in April 2016.
“Diesel has lost its dominance in the Euopean car market. While there are several reasons for this shift, all evidence points to the ‘dieselgate’ scandal as the start of this decline. Since the scandal, which broke in 2015, the fuel type has suffered major setbacks to its reputation as governments consider new legislation that directly affect diesel car owners – such as plans in the UK for a diesel scrappage scheme. In tandem with this, the media continues to advise consumers to avoid the fuel type wherever possible. When factoring in the ongoing push for electric/hybrid vehicles, which are particularly prevelant in markets like the UK, it is perhaps no surprise to see this decline in performance from diesel,” commented Felipe Munoz, Global Automotive Analyst at JATO Dynamics.
