Diesel only made 12% of passenger car sales in Europe in 2023
- Diesel only made 12% of passenger car sales in Europe in 2023, the lowest figure in several decades. The “dieselgate” scandal at Volkswagen in 2015 and the political exploitation that was made of it accelerated the fall of this type of engine among all carmakers which had already started to decline from 2011, dropping from 56% this year - there at 52% in 2015. From 2015, it is a real collapse that we saw, the share of diesel in passenger car sales in Europe declining to 45% in 2017, 32% in 2019, 18% in 2021 and 12% in 2023.
- Diesel still exists on some sedans and SUVs in higher segments, but perhaps not for so long. The first models to phase out diesel were the lower segment sedans (A, B, C).
- All countries suffered at the same time the sales collapse of diesel cars, but this collapse was more violent for the countries where diesel were historically strongly pushed, such as France whose share of diesel had exceeded 70% of the market in certain years. In 2023, this share gradually fell to 10%.
- It is mainly alternative engines that have replaced diesel, such as full-hybrids (HEV), plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and, in a more nuanced way, battery electric (BEV). But some customers have also switched to gasoline engines.
- Let us add that diesel still remains predominant in the utility vehicle category (83% of light utility vehicle sales in Europe in 2023 and more than 95% of heavy goods vehicle sales).